beta-carotene (beta c) was successfully incorporated into electrospun nanofibers of poly-(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with the aim of prolonging its shelf life and thermal stability. The physical and thermal properties of the beta c-PEO-nanofibers were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), color analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The nanofibers of PEO and beta c-PEO exhibited average fiber diameters of 320 +/- 46 and 230 +/- 21 nm, with colorimetric coordinates L* = 95.7 +/- 2.4 and 89.4 +/- 4.6 and b* =-0.5 +/- 0.1 and 6.2 +/- 3.0 respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Proton Transfer-Mass Spectroscopy (TGA/PTR-ms) demonstrated that coated beta c inside PEO nanofibers increased thermal stability when compared to standard beta c in powder form. In addition, beta-carotene in the membranes showed higher stability during storage when compared with beta-carotene in solution with a decrease in concentration of 57 +/- 4% and 70 +/- 2% respectively, thus should extend the shelf life of this compound. Also, TGA coupled with PTR-MS resulted in a promising technique to online-monitoring thermal degradation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.