Functional foods are enriched with compounds with beneficial and healthy properties, such as polyphenols and carotenoids which can be found in high quantities in tomato by-products. A tomato powder can be prepared from by-products of tomato processing, i.e. peels and seeds, following dehydration. The powder, characterised by the presence of natural compounds with proven antioxidant properties such as lycopene and β-carotene, can be used as an added ingredient to be added to cheese, bread and other food products. The resulting product is therefore red-coloured and enriched in natural antioxidant compounds.