Carotenoids were first identified in plant tissues one century ago. During this period, there was a spectacular improvement in the research of compounds responsible for the yellow colour of products made from durum wheat and the genetic factors determining the amount of these compounds. For today, science has answered the question which molecules constitute the yellow pigments and what are the steps and enzyme activities involved in their creation. By means of the improved technique of separation, the composition of carotenoids can be measured even from a small sample during only a few minutes. It is possible to gain information about product quality (semolina or pasta) with color management without any damage or chemicals. As a result of genetic research, not only the genes regulating the yellow pigment, but also their function is starting to become known. The identification of differences at the allele level in the genes encoding enzymes which control lutein synthesis and the revealed correlation of these differences with yellow pigment content led to the development of effectively usable molecular markers. As a result, marker selection can gain more ground in increasing yellow pigment content in durum wheat breeding programs in the near future.

Keywords: Triticum turgidum ssp. durum, carotenoid, technological quality, genetic background, marker-assisted selection