Carotenoids are versatile isoprenoids that are important in food quality and health promotion. There is a need to establish recommended dietary intakes/nutritional reference values for carotenoids. Research on carotenoids in agro-food and health is being propelled by the two multidisciplinary international networks, the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Foods Ingredients (IBERCAROT; http://www.cyted.org) and the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro-Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN; http://www.eurocaroten.eu). In this review, considerations for their safe and sustainable use in products mostly intended for health promotion are provided. Specifically, information about sources, intakes, and factors affecting bioavailability is summarized. Furthermore, their health-promoting actions and importance in public health in relation to the contribution of reducing the risk of diverse ailments are synthesized. Definitions and regulatory and safety information for carotenoid-containing products are provided. Lastly, recent trends in research in the context of sustainable healthy diets are summarized.
Keywords: carotenoids; health claims; life-cycle assessment; safety; vitamin A.