Trends of Pretreatment and Analysis Methods for Carotenoids in Food

Carotenoids are analytically challenging food constituents because their structural diversity, chemical instability, low abundance, and strong matrix dependence impose simultaneous demands on extraction selectivity, analyte preservation, chromatographic resolution, and detection sensitivity. This review critically evaluates recent advances in the pretreatment and analytical determination of carotenoids in food, with emphasis on the physicochemical and matrix-related factors governing method performance rather than on technique-by-technique description. Pretreatment strategies are examined in terms of extraction mechanisms, matrix compatibility, mass transfer, cleanup selectivity, analyte stability, and operational tradeoffs, with particular attention to microextraction, green solvent systems, QuEChERS, and advanced sorbent-based approaches. Analytical platforms, including chromatographic, mass-spectrometric, spectroscopic, and portable optical methods, are comparatively assessed with respect to isomer resolution, sensitivity, selectivity, qualitative capability, throughput, matrix effects, and practical applicability. The review further considers analytical greenness and the emerging integration of automation, digital analysis, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. Across these developments, no universally optimal workflow is evident; instead, analytical performance depends on matching analyte properties and matrix characteristics with appropriate pretreatment and determination strategies. By integrating these considerations, the review provides a matrix- and mechanism-oriented framework for method selection and identifies the major tradeoffs and technological priorities shaping future carotenoid analysis.