Phytoene, a new noncrystalline, colorless polyene, has been isolated from tomatoes and carrot oil by an improved adsorptive procedure. It was adsorbed less strongly than the known carotenes and polyenes on magnesia and alumina. It produced a very weak Carr-Price reaction, but it did give a characteristic color reaction with the Liebermann-Burchard test. At maximal absorption, 286 mμ, phytoene showed an absorbancy index of 85 in hexane or isooctane (1 mg./ml., 1-cm. cell).