Tomato Paste Production Procedure
Tomato paste is a product made from tomatoes that has been fully concentrated. It is widely used in sauces, soups, and food manufacturing. Its production process involves several key steps to ensure quality, shelf life, and flavor. Below is a detailed description of the tomato paste production method.
Tomato Paste Production Steps: A Complete View
Although each tomato paste manufacturer may have different modifications to the tomato paste production process and equipment, in general, the sequence of production operations is similar in all paste factories. Let’s take a look at these steps:
1. Selection and Sorting of Tomatoes
Only ripe, red, firm tomatoes with high brix (sugar content) and low acidity are selected and imported into our factory.
In the first stage, the tomatoes are thoroughly and carefully sorted using a combination of automatic and manual methods. In this way, the dead, rotten and damaged tomatoes are removed from the production line.
2. Washing and Cleaning
- Pre-Wash: Tomatoes pass through a flume system with chlorinated water (3-5 ppm chlorine) to remove dirt and microbes.
- Final Rinse: High-pressure spray nozzles ensure thorough cleaning.
- Debris Removal: Vibrating screens or air blowers remove leaves and stems.
3. Chopping & Crushing
Tomatoes are crushed using rotary crushers or pulpers to break cell walls and release juice.
4. Pre-Heating
Preheating is generally done in one of two ways, each with its own characteristics.
- Hot break: The chopped tomatoes are heated to a temperature of about 90-95 degrees Celsius. In this method, the enzymes (pectinase) are inactivated, thus maintaining the thickness and color. This method is the best option for producing paste with high viscosity.
- Cold break: In this preheating method, the tomatoes are heated to a temperature of 60-70 degrees Celsius. This method preserves the fresh tomato flavor but results in a thinner paste.
5. Juice Extraction and Pulp Separation
In this step, seeds, skins, and other waste from the cooked tomatoes are removed using screw extractors or decanter centrifuges. The use of a polisher or purifier at the end of this step helps to remove all remaining pulp and fibers. The end result is a very smooth and uniform tomato juice that will produce a smooth and uniform tomato paste.
6. Evaporation and Concentration
Multi-stage vacuum evaporators reduce the water content of the tomato extract to achieve the desired concentration. Typically, the Brix of the concentrated mixture should be around 28-38%. Some plants use thermal vapor recompression (TVR) at this stage to save energy.
7. Pasteurization and Sterilization
Manufacturers can perform pasteurization using either HTST or UHT methods. In high-temperature, short-time pasteurization (HTST), processors heat the product to 90 to 95 degrees Celsius for 30 to 60 seconds to completely kill microbes. While in ultra-high temperature (UHT), manufacturers heat the product to 140 degrees Celsius for 2 to 5 seconds. This method usually best suits products requiring longer shelf life.
8. Packaging
There a lot of tomato paste packages type. Manufacturers may package tomato paste in glass containers, metal cans, or flexible multilayer packaging (including bags and nets) for aseptic packaging, provided they ensure all packaging specifications comply with relevant standards. These specifications include:
- Material composition and type
- Consumables used in production
- Inner/outer sealing methods
- Interior/exterior wall varnishes for cans and glass containers
9. Storage and Quality Control
This section includes 3 basic steps:
- Cooling: Rapidly cooling the product packages to 4°C prevents the growth of bacteria in them.
- Brix and pH testing: Performing this test on the produced tomato paste ensures the correct concentration (Brix: 28-38%) and acidity (pH: 4.2-4.5).
- Microbiological testing: This type of testing also checks for the presence of yeast, mold, and Escherichia coli in the product.
Conclusion
The tomato paste production method involves careful control at every stage, from crushing and mashing to evaporation and packaging. Royal's modern Factory, as one of the tomato paste manufacturers, uses automated sorting, multi-stage evaporation and sterile filling to produce high-quality paste for global markets.
