The aim of this work was to produce and characterize microcapsules of lycopene and to evaluate their stability in comparison with free lycopene. An oily dispersion of lycopene was encapsulated by complex coacervation using gelatin and pectin. Samples were analyzed at four different pH values (3, 3.5, 4 and 4.5) and three proportions of core (25, 50 and 100%). The moisture, water activity, solubility, hygroscopicity, encapsulation efficiency and stability of lycopene microcapsules kept at 10 and 25C were determined. The amount of lycopene in the microcapsule did not have a significant (P < 0.05) effect on water activity, hygroscopic characteristics or the efficiency of microencapsulation. The degradation of lycopene was linear, with an average loss of 14% per week. Therefore, despite the formation of microcapsules and the high values of encapsulation efficiency, the encapsulation method and the wall materials used in this work did not provide effective protection of the lycopene from degradation during storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSBecause of its highly unsaturated structure, lycopene is sensitive to heat and light. Lycopene may undergo two changes during processing and storage: oxidation and isomerization from all-trans to mono-cis or poly-cis. The autoxidation of lycopene is irreversible and leads to the fragmentation of the molecule. Microencapsulation is an innovative technology that protects products from environmental conditions and extends shelf life. Thus, the aim of this work was to produce and characterize microcapsules of lycopene and also to evaluate their stability in comparison with free lycopene.