Eurocaroten researches the benefits of carotenoids and their applications in agro-food and health

The goal of EUROCAROTEN is to enhance competitiveness of the European agro-food industry and promote health by coordinating research on carotenoids. The two main partner scientists responsible for EUROCAROTEN in France are: Jean-Fran?ois Landrier (UMR NORT, INRA-AMU) and Catherine Caris-Veyrat (UMR SQPOV, INRA-UAPV). European scientists from 28 countries met in Brussels for the kick-off of the EUROCAROTEN Cost Action. The goal of this European network is to enhance the competitiveness of the European agro-food industry and promote health by coordinating research on carotenoids.? These pigments are versatile and can be used as natural colorants, antioxidants, sources of vitamin A and functional ingredients. More than 750 carotenoids have been defined, but only ten have been thoroughly studied to date, so there is considerable potential to determine positive impacts at different levels. COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a pan-European intergovernmental framework. Its mission is to enable breakthrough scientific and technological developments leading to new concepts and products and thereby contributing to strengthening Europe?s research and innovation capacities. (www.cost.eu) EUROCAROTEN will focus in particular on identifying novel sources of carotenoids, those that have been little studied, and how the beneficial actions of carotenoids can be harnessed to promote health and to increase the competitiveness of the European agro-food industry. EUROCAROTEN will gather and articulate a critical mass of European actors to promote the cooperative use of infrastructures, synergistic interactions and the sharing, generation, application and communication of knowledge. This will contribute to strengthening research and innovation capacities in Europe. As a result, this project should generate breakthroughs leading to applications such as new technologies and/or high-quality foods, and the establishment of health-promoting nutritional recommendations.