In this study, extraction of carotenoids was carried out from apricot pomace obtained in fruit puree production process using supercritical (SC)-CO2. The samples dried both in vacuum oven and freezer were extracted by two different methods (traditional solvent extraction (TSE) and SC-CO2 extraction). SC-CO2 extraction experiments were carried out using freeze-dried samples and ground to particle size range of 75-600 mum at the temperature range of 313-333 K and the pressure range of 30.4-50.7 MPa. According to the results of SC-CO2 extraction experiments, the highest extraction yield of beta-carotene (88 mug/g dry pomace) was obtained using freeze-dried samples, when 4 ml 2,2-dimethoxypropane (DMP) to 1 g of pomace was added at 40.5 MPa, 328 K, 1 ml CO2/min flow rate and at the end of 90 min extraction time. These results were compared with those of classical solvent extraction. Hence, SC-CO2 extraction of beta-carotene might carry out at shorter time (twofold), using nontoxic and less solvent, less cost (31-fold) than those of TSE. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.