Tomato paste is a common condiment made from fresh tomatoes. But what is the tomato paste manufacturing process?
A typical tomato paste manufacturing process includes:
Tomatoes → Washing → Crushing → Preheating and enzyme inactivation → Pulping → Blending → Vacuum concentration → Sterilization → Filling → Secondary sterilization
Of course, different Brix levels (concentrations), different tomato varieties, and different end product requirements will have a certain impact on the process and equipment configuration.
1. Selection of Raw Tomatoes
The first step in processing high-quality tomato paste is selecting suitable raw tomatoes.
Precautions:
Choose tomatoes that are highly mature, have a bright red color, and a balanced sugar-to-acid ratio. Avoid using rotten, moldy, or severely mechanically damaged tomatoes. Different varieties of tomatoes have different water content and pectin content, which will affect the thickness and yield of the finished product.
2. Washing
Tomatoes usually have soil and impurities attached to their surface after harvesting and need to be thoroughly washed.
Precautions:
The washing water should be kept flowing and changed regularly. Avoid squeezing the tomatoes during washing to prevent premature breakage and loss of juice.
3. Crushing
After washing, the tomatoes enter the crushing process, where the whole fruits are crushed into tomato pulp.
Precautions:
The crushing particle size should be uniform to facilitate subsequent heating and pulping. Avoid excessive shearing to prevent affecting the natural color and flavor of the tomatoes.
4. Preheating to Inactivate Enzymes
The crushed tomato pulp needs to be preheated quickly to inactivate enzyme activity.
Precautions:
The preheating temperature is generally 85–95℃. The main purpose is to inhibit polyphenol oxidase and pectinase, preventing darkening of color and thinning of the texture.
5. Pulping (removing skin and seeds)
The preheated tomato pulp is refined using a pulping machine to separate the skin, seeds, and fibers.
Note:
Select sieves with different mesh sizes according to product requirements. High-quality tomato paste usually requires multi-stage pulping.
6. Blending
The tomato pulp, after being processed, can be blended according to product standards.
Precautions:
Salt, sugar, etc., can be added in appropriate amounts. Different markets have different requirements for acidity, saltiness, and taste. The blending process requires thorough stirring to ensure uniform distribution of ingredients.
7. Vacuum Concentration
The prepared tomato paste enters the vacuum concentration equipment to increase the solid content.
Precautions:
Water is evaporated at low temperature under vacuum conditions, effectively protecting the color and nutrients. The concentration ratio is controlled according to product requirements. Common tomato paste Brix levels include 28–30%, 30–32%, and 36–38%.
8. Sterilization
The concentrated tomato paste needs to be sterilized to ensure microbiological safety.
Precautions:
The sterilization temperature and time must be matched to the product’s viscosity, ensuring effective sterilization while avoiding overheating.
9. Filling
The sterilized tomato paste is packaged under aseptic or hot-filling conditions.
Precautions:
Filling containers can be aseptic bags, glass bottles, tin cans, etc.
10. Secondary sterilization (depending on the packaging type)
Some types of tomato paste packaging require secondary sterilization after filling.
Note:
This is commonly used for glass bottles or canned products. The sterilization intensity should be carefully controlled to prevent can swelling.
Tomato paste processing is a food processing operation that requires high standards of process continuity, temperature control, and hygiene. Only through scientific process design and stable tomato paste equipment can high-quality tomato paste with a smooth texture and consistent quality be produced.