Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Lycopene and Omega-3

An ideal extraction method should be rapid, produce a quantitative recovery without degradation and the extracts should be easily separated from the solvent. Supercritical fluid technology offers features that overcome many limitations of conventional extraction methods. There are many advantages to their application, especially in the food sector (for example the extraction of lycopene from tomato skins or the extraction of fish oil rich in omega-3 from fish by-products); the extraction method influences the yield and quality of the product obtained, and also allows to operate with moderate temperatures and with shorter timescales. The processes involving SCF are sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost efficient, and offer the possibility of obtaining new products. The disadvantage, however, lies in the fact that it is necessary to use expensive equipment and to perfect the particular phases of the process to obtain a specific product.