Carotenoid profile and retinol content of baby food products

 The contents of provitamin A carotenoids, non-provitamin A carotenoids and retinol were investigated in two types of 65 commercially available baby food products by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The content of β-carotene in vegetable products for babies from 5 months was 57% of the total amount of carotenoids (7.83 mg/100 g); the contents of other carotenoids were lycopene 19%, α-carotene 18%, lutein 4%, cryptoxanthin 1% and zeaxanthin 1%. All together, the content of provitamin A carotenoids was 76% and that of non-provitamin A carotenoids was 24%. A similar carotenoid profile was found in vegetable products for babies from 8 months and from 12 months, although the total carotenoid content was lower (3.07 mg/100 g). In fruit and cereal products the contents of β-carotene and lycopene were 36% and 39% of the total amount of carotenoids (0.44 mg/100 g). The contents of α-carotene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin ranged from 3% to 9% of the total carotenoids. The contents of provitamin A and non-provitamin A carotenoids were equal for this group (both 50% of all carotenoids). The calculated average content of retinol equivalents (mg RE/100 g) was between 0.33 and 0.88 for the vegetable products and 0.03 for the fruit and cereal products.