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Tomato oleoresin represents the flavour of tomato used in natural flavourings and finds application as natural colouring agent also. The efficiency of wet extraction of tomato oleoresin using organic solvents is less due to the fact that carotenoids and other compounds are entrapped in tomato tissue. So the major challenge for the industries is to increase yield of thermolabile carotenoids in oleoresin which is having lot of health benefits. By taking into account the requirement the current study deals with effect non-thermal electromagnetic wave treatment (Radio-frequency) in extraction of tomato oleoresin. The solvent used is ethyl acetate and time of exposure is varied to study the effect exposure time of radiofrequency on oleoresin extraction. RF pre-treatment increased the yield of extraction. The lycopene yield was higher for 15 minutes pre-treated sample. SEM images of pre-treated sample’s residue after extraction had fractures, which points to the effective rapture of tomato tissue which in turn facilitates the release of carotenoids. RF pre-treatment can be used as effective pre-treatment to increase the yield of tomato oleoresin when compared to the conventional extraction method.

Key words: Carotenoids, Pre-treatment, Thermolabile, Non-thermal, Extraction.