Canned Tomatoes vs Tomato Paste: What Should Food Businesses Use?

Mar 10

4 min read

Why This Choice Matters for Food Businesses

Tomatoes have been an essential ingredient across various cuisines. While raw tomatoes are used in household settings, food businesses use different versions of tomatoes to increase efficiency.

The debate is between canned tomatoes and tomato paste, and the decision depends on which aspect matters most.

If a business wishes to reduce its cost per kg and transportation fees, then tomato paste is the appropriate choice.

However, if the business focuses on providing its customers with the best-tasting products, then canned tomatoes are the way to go.

Keeping the Australian and New Zealand markets in mind, canned tomatoes rule the world of hospitality whereas paste dominates the manufacturing sector.

What Are Canned Tomatoes?

Canned tomatoes are processed and sealed tomatoes that are sterilised through heat and preserved in airtight steel cans, permitting their storage for 1 to 2 years.

The process of making canned tomatoes includes harvesting fresh tomatoes from their plantations, then peeling them with hot water and cutting or crushing them, depending on the type of canned tomato.

Finally, the product is packed in juice-filled, sterilised cans.

Canned tomatoes are available in common forms such as peeled, diced, crushed, or pureed.

Canned tomatoes are commonly used in sauces like marinara and as a base ingredient in tomato and vegetable soups.

Curries and gravies use canned tomatoes as a base, and long-cooking dishes use them to add acidity.

What Is Tomato Paste?

Tomato paste is the concentrated version, resulting in a higher percentage of soluble solids in the product.

Manufacturing tomato paste is the same as that of canned tomatoes till the process of harvesting, sorting, and crushing, with the difference lying in the process of heating the mixture.

The pulp is heated through the process of hot break using 90 to 100°C or cold break using 60 to 70°C.

An important purpose of tomato paste is to provide commercial kitchens and manufacturing companies with cost efficiency.

Combining this feature with the pastes’ intense flavour and long shelf life, tomato pastes make for an excellent addition.

Canned Tomatoes vs Tomato Paste: Key Differences

1. Concentration & Yield

Canned tomatoes have a low concentration of tomatoes and high water content, resulting in lower yield and higher cooking time.

Tomato pastes are the opposite, as they undergo industrial evaporation, resulting in shorter cooking time.

2. Cost Efficiency

Cost efficiency is better with tomato paste, as it has a higher Brix value, resulting in more servings.

3. Shelf Life & Storage

Canned tomatoes can last unopened up to 18 months, whereas tomato pastes last up to 24 months.

The packaging size of canned tomatoes is larger, so it requires greater space to be stored, whereas tomato pastes can be packed into cans or aseptic bags, requiring less storage space.

4. Consistency & Standardisation

Reliability in consistency, flavour, texture, and colour will be better with tomato pastes, as their production is standardized.

Which Ingredient Works Best for Different Food Businesses?

There is no winner in this debate since everything depends on which aspect the business focuses on.

Executive Chefs and QSR chains focus on taste, so they value the freshness of canned tomatoes.

Catering and hospitality kitchens can use a blend of canned tomatoes and tomato paste to balance taste and speed.

Food manufacturers and commissary kitchens would function best with tomato paste since they have automated production systems.

What to Consider When Buying Tomato Paste or Canned Tomatoes?

Procurement teams must keep in mind several factors when finalizing a decision.

Their decision must ensure that demand and supply of the ingredient are balanced without creating excess inventory.

Efficiency in storage and handling is an essential aspect for procurement teams to ensure businesses do not suffer losses while storing their products.

Canned tomatoes require more space and heavy lifting, whereas tomato paste is packed in a way that makes it easier to transport and store.

Supply consistency is very important to maintain an uninterrupted production line, so businesses can enjoy a constant supply of ingredients that do not hinder their profits or production.

Where to Buy Tomato Paste or Canned Tomatoes?

If you are looking to buy tomato paste or canned tomatoes in bulk in Australia or New Zealand, Knoxx Foods is your go-to food ingredients supplier!

Knoxx Foods prioritizes supply chain reliability, ensuring consistent crop sourcing and stable Brix measurements.

Based in Sydney, the company supplies bulk food ingredients to food processors, ready-meal manufacturers, and foodservice distributors across Australia, sourcing HACCP-certified products from trusted producers worldwide.

Ending Remarks on Canned Tomatoes vs Tomato Paste

There is no right choice as to which ingredient is the best for your business, as it all depends on the application and scale of usage.

If a business wishes to prioritize flavour and freshness, then canned tomatoes will always prove to be the better choice. But if it deals in bulk and focuses on productivity and efficiency, then tomato paste is a good choice.

However, the right choice can still differ from dish to dish and business to business.