During the last two decades Brazil has produced more than 80 scientific papers on carotenoids, most of which dealing with food composition, development of analytical methodology and the factors that influence composition. Varietal differences, agricultural practices, climate and stage of maturity, as well as food storage, processing and preparation are the main influencing factors. Studies on bioavailability and the functions and actions in health have also been carried out and are expanding. Recently, interest has grown on the degradation of carotenoids with the production of either desirable or undesirable aroma/flavor in foods. For the future, analytical and compositional studies should continue to enlarge the basis for agronomic, nutritional, medical and biotechnological projects. It is fundamental that the quality of analytical data continues to receive top priority, for this can mean the difference between reliable and confounding results, regardless of the sub-area of application.4992S-97S