Isocratic reversed-phase HPLC with thermal lens spectrometric (TLS) detection enabled identification of linseed, olive, sesame, and wheat germ vegetable oils to control the authenticity of the oils based on characteristic carotenoid/carotene profiles. Four characteristic regions of carotenoids (i.e., lutein, xanthophyll, carotene, and lycopene) have been identified in each type of oil. The concentrations of total β-carotene (BC) and α-carotene (AC), together with trans-to cis-isomers of β-carotene (TBC/CBC) and BC/AC ratios were shown to be reliable and useful indices for fast screening of oils for nutritional quality. The oil TBC/CBC ratio and the BC concentration (in µg/mL) should meet the following numerical criteria: linseed (≥2:1, ≥1.7), olive (≥3:1, ≥0.4), sesame (≥1:1, ≥0.1), and wheat germ oil (≥1:1, ≥1.7). Based on the above criteria, unsatisfactory olive oils differed significantly from the consumable ones. Likewise, the concentration of AC in consumable wheat germ and sesame oil should not be lower than 0.6 and 0.02 µg/mL, respectively. The AC level in safflower oil should not be higher than 0.04 µg/mL. The BC/AC ratios exceeding 3:1, 6:1, and 8:1 should be used as an additional quality requirement for consumable wheat germ, sesame, and safflower oil, respectively.Profiling of carotenoids in vegetable oils is of great nutritional and epidemiological interest. The separation, identification, and quantitation of trans/cis-isomers of β-carotene (TBC, CBC) in edible oils is important to measure antioxidant activity and for quality control. The cis-isomer(s) are either naturally present or formed during the processing of oils. In fruits and vegetables all-trans-β-carotene has been shown to undergo cis-isomerization (1), with the 9-cis-and 13-cis-stereoisomers being the predominant isomerization products.Various studies on the distribution of pigments in olives and olive oils have shown that the characteristics of olive oil depend on genetic, agronomic, environmental, and processing factors (2-7). The content of pigments differs greatly among single-variety virgin olive oils. Arbequina variety olives have chlorophyllides, esterified xanthophylls, α-carotene (AC), ξ-carotene, and phytofluene that are exclusive to this variety (2).The carotenoid (17-19%) and total chlorophyll (81-83%) fractions dominate in fresh olives, whereas lutein (10-11%) and β-carotene (4-5%) are the most abundant among the carotenoids (3). In virgin olive oils the concentration of total xanthophylls (including neoxanthin, mutatoxanthin, antheraxanthin, luteoxanthin, and violaxanthin) varies between 0.3 and 1.6 µg/g, whereas those of pheophytins, lutein, and β-carotene range from 3.3 to 51.4, 0.2 to 9.3, and 0.3 to 7.7 µg/g, respectively (3-7). However, the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents gradually decrease during olive fruit ripening (2). Separation, identification, and quantification of carotenoids and chlorophylls in olive fruit and in olive oils based on normal-phase HPLC (5,6), reversed-phase ion-pair HPLC (2,4), and TLC (3) hav...