Tomato purée and tomato sauce

We possess our own tomato plantations in different spots along our Country. We have been working with a unique industrial variety which perfectly fulfills all our standards of quality.

The same one is processed in our facilities with the major one of the respects and cares in order to achieve the quality levels we are proud of owing.

.   The preservation of the tomato has been traditional among families from the beginning of the century, but in the 70s, it experienced its very peak which has been kept up to now. There are several ways to package the canned tomato.

The characteristics that assemble the varieties of tomato selected refer to its shape, color and size. However, the features related to the intrinsic qualities such as the acidity, the sugar contents and the dried raw material are the most important ones.

Among the nutritional properties of the tomato it is necessary to emphasize its content in vitamin A (specifically beta  caroteno or provitamin A), C and E (it is necessary to consume it fresh to obtain the latter) and the powerful antioxidant one belonging to the family of the carotinoids named lycopeno (natural color that gives it  the red typical one), as well as mineral salts.

We produce and distribute “Tomato sauce" in its large bottle of 1 LT presentation and in its canning one of  800 gr as well as tomato purée in sachet.

Classification

The classification and selection of tomatoes can be more suitable for the automation of operations such as peeling. The selection allows better control of the weights added to the standard sales packages. The selection can be performed by size, weight, shape and color.


Selection
This is done to maintain the quality of the final product, eliminating those tomatoes which disqualify. The selection can be carried out manually or automatically.

The manual selection is done by a number of operators who are available throughout the selection table, being them the ones who discard the disqualified tomatoes

The selection has a drawback, which is the mechanical installation cost, but  it reduces labor costs compared to manual selection.

Cleaning

Several methods are used :

- Cleaning Spray:
It is probably the most widely method used. Products are arranged under a shower to be cleaned. The efficiency of washing depends on the pressure of the water used, the volume of water used, the wash time and the water temperature.
These sprinklers are arranged on a roller belt where the tomatoes are passing by.

- Immersion cleaning:
Sometimes this method is used before the cleaning sprays, although, in some occasions it turns out to be the only cleaning method. It involves inserting tomatoes in a dip tank and movement may be produced by using paddles to increase the effectiveness of the process.

Blanching

It is a heat treatment in which tomatoes are maintained at a temperature close to 95 degrees for several minutes. The means used for scalding are the hot water and the steam. Blanching fulfils a number of objectives: - Increase the density of the product and thus it does not float in liquid.

- The number of microorganisms is reduced at times up to 90%. The time and temperature reached will be crucial in reducing microorganisms.

You get the temperature inside the container during the sterilization matched the saturation temperature of steam at the temperature of the process. Therefore, the container closures are out of danger.

- The residual oxygen concentration inside the packaging is minimum, so as to prevent the oxidation of the product and the corrosion of the tin.  The blanching produced in the tomatoes a number of changes which affect: - Nutrients; lost mineral salts, water soluble vitamins and other water-soluble components.

- Texture, the tomato is softened, which facilitates packaging.

- Flavor and color vary the flavor of tomatoes and sometimes the scalding highlights their color through the action of air on its surface.

Packaging

Packing must function adequately in order to protect the product from the contamination by external agents, both biotic and abiotic factors. The container must retain the intrinsic properties of the product such as taste, odor, flavor, etc.

The packaging for the retail canned tomatoes tend to be of metal, glass or plastic-cardboard combined with aluminum. The choice of each package depends on the product presentation (whole, chopped, fried, etc.) the time and the conditions in which they want to be kept.

Sterilization

After blanching and filling the can with a liquid of a high temperature, the closed container and the sterilization take place. This is achieved by eliminating yeast, fungi and microorganisms which are the main responsible in altering the food.  Bacteria are the ones which are extremely heat resistant, and they can also cause poisoning due to the toxins they produce. It is very important that this strong heat treatment alters in the slightest possible degree the nutritional value of food and all their characteristics.

For sterilization there are plenty of technological equipments depending on whether you choose a continuous sterilization system or a static one.