CHANGES IN TOMATO PASTE DURING STORAGE AND THE EFFECTS OF HEATING ON CONSISTENCY OF RECONSTITUTED TOMATO PASTE

Bostwick consistencies of reconstituted tomato pastes were measured both immediately after paste production and after storage times of up to 9 months. Bostwick values measured after storage were more than twice those measured on the day of paste production. This increase in Bostwick developed over the first month of paste storage at room temperature and could be slowed down but not prevented if the paste was stored at 4C. Heating the reconstituted paste for 30 min at 90C or 15 min at 100C restored the original consistency. Serum viscosities also decreased during paste storage, but the change in serum viscosity was smaller than the changes in Bostwick. As with the Bostwick, heating the reconstituted juice restored the serum viscosity. For a reproducible evaluation of the consistency of stored tomato paste, it is essential that the reconstituted paste be heated to 90C or above. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consistency is an important quality consideration in products prepared from reconstituted tomato paste. During storage, changes occur in tomato paste, which affect the consistency after reconstitution. The results presented here show that for stored tomato paste, heating after reconstitution restores consistency to the same level as measured before storage. This knowledge will help in the formulation of products made from stored tomato paste.