Tomato paste technology

The product with the highest production volumes among concentrated products is tomato paste.

Tomato paste is usually considered as semi-finished product because it is commonly used as an ingredient in other food products such as pizza, salsa and pasta sauce. In addition, tomato paste is commonly used as a raw material for products like tomato sauce and tomato powder.

It is manufactured in a various range of concentrations, with a minimum of 25% and up to 44% refractometric extract.

Functionally tomato paste provide flavor, color and consistency. Tomato paste is the product obtained by removal of peel and seeds from tomatoes, followed by concentration of juice by evaporation under vacuum.

Color is a key attribute of tomato paste, because it gives an indication not only on raw tomato quality but also of the efficiency of the tomato paste manufacturing system.

Paste of good quality must have a volatile acidity of maximum 0.15% as lactic acid. An 8% salt addition is accepted. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate may be added to heavy tomato paste to neutralize some of the acid. The end point is judged by using a refractometer.

Tomato paste is preserved by heat and is free of vegetative spoilage organisms. The paste can be provided in cans, drums, or aseptically packed in bags, which after opening are sensitive may develop when held after opening.

Generally tomato paste are added to the container at a temperature near 82.2 ° C to 93,3 °C. the containers are then sealed and inverted, allowed to stand for several minutes and cooled.
Tomato paste technology