Tomato paste is the quietest line item on a sauce manufacturer's bill of materials and the loudest when it goes wrong. A drum that arrives two degrees Brix under specification changes your yield; a paste with the wrong Bostwick changes how your ketchup sets; a lot with a Howard mould count over the defect action level is a shipment you cannot use at all. This guide walks through what to specify, what to check and what to expect when you buy aseptic tomato paste in bulk from India for the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland or the European Union.
It is written for the people who actually place the order — procurement managers, QA leads and production planners — and it reflects how ODOD Group specifies and ships its own aseptic tomato paste.
Hot-break or cold-break: decide this first
Everything else follows from this choice. Hot-break paste is heated to 85–95 °C within seconds of crushing. That heat deactivates pectin methylesterase, so the tomato's own pectin stays intact and the paste holds viscosity. It is the right choice for ketchup, pizza sauce, pasta sauce and any product where body matters and you would rather not add starch.
Cold-break paste is processed at 60–65 °C. The enzymes stay active for longer, pectin breaks down, and you get a thinner paste with a brighter red colour and a fresher, less "cooked" flavour. Juice, drinks, gazpacho-type products and light sauces are the natural fit.
A useful rule: if your finished product is judged by how it clings to a spoon, buy hot-break; if it is judged by colour in a glass, buy cold-break. Many processors run both.
Reading the specification
A serious paste supplier will give you at least the following on every Certificate of Analysis. If any line is missing, ask why.
- Total soluble solids (Brix) — 28–30° for standard double concentrate, 36–38° for triple. Measured refractometrically at 20 °C, corrected for salt if any. Tolerance should be ± 1°.
- Bostwick consistency — reported at 12° Brix dilution for hot-break; 4–6 cm is typical. Lower numbers mean thicker paste.
- pH — 4.2–4.4. Above 4.6 the product is no longer an acidified food and the sterilisation logic changes entirely.
- Colour — Hunter a/b ratio ≥ 2.0, or an absolute a value. Colour is what your consumer sees.
- Howard mould count — the percentage of microscope fields showing mould filaments. The US FDA defect action level for tomato paste is 45 %; a well-run supplier delivers well under 40 %.
- Microbiology — commercial sterility (incubation test), plus flat-sour spores, yeasts and moulds and total plate count.
- Physical defects — black specks and seeds per 100 g, foreign matter.
Ask for the COA of a current lot before you sign, and compare it with the specification sheet. The gap between the two tells you how the supplier really operates.
Packaging and container maths
Aseptic paste comes in two industrial formats. The 220 L aseptic bag-in-drum holds about 220 kg net; it is easy to handle with a drum tipper and is the standard for sauce plants. The 1,000 L bag-in-box tote (about 1,000 kg net) suits high-volume lines with a tote unloading station and reduces packaging waste per tonne.
A 20-ft container takes about 80 drums on 20 pallets — roughly 17.6 tonnes net — or 16–18 totes. Because the product is ambient-stable, you are paying for a dry container, not a reefer, which is one of the clearest cost advantages of aseptic over frozen paste.
Shelf life is 24 months unopened. Once a bag is opened the paste is a fresh food again: refrigerate and use within a few days, or plan production so a drum is consumed in one run.
United States: FDA rules that apply
Tomato concentrate has a standard of identity in 21 CFR 155.191. It sets the minimum solids for "tomato paste" (24 %) and defines what may be added. A paste that meets the standard can be labelled simply as tomato paste in your ingredient statement.
Because the paste is an acidified food packed aseptically, the processor must have a filed scheduled process (FCE registration and SID process filing). Your supplier should be able to quote both. Under FSMA, you or your customs broker act as the FSVP importer and must hold the supplier's hazard analysis, facility registration and evidence of verification — a COA per lot and periodic audit reports are the usual package.
Every shipment needs an FDA Prior Notice before arrival. Pesticide residues are governed by EPA tolerances; FDA defect action levels cover mould, drosophila eggs and rot fragments.
United Kingdom and Ireland
The UK applies assimilated (retained) EU law: pesticide MRLs under assimilated Regulation 396/2005 and contaminant limits under assimilated Regulation 1881/2006, with labelling under retained Regulation 1169/2011. Tomato paste is not a high-risk product of non-animal origin, so it does not normally require IPAFFS pre-notification, but check the current list before each shipment because it changes.
Ireland follows EU rules in full (see below) and clears through Dublin or Rosslare. A UK importer selling into Northern Ireland works under the Windsor Framework arrangements.
European Union
Three regulations do most of the work: (EC) 396/2005 for pesticide MRLs, (EU) 2023/915 for contaminants (lead, cadmium, tin in canned product), and (EU) 1169/2011 for labelling. Tomato paste enters under CN code 2002 90. A multi-residue pesticide screen from an ISO 17025 laboratory is the document EU buyers most often request, and ODOD Group runs it per lot on request.
For organic programmes, EU organic imports require the certificate of inspection in TRACES; plan an extra two to three weeks the first time.
What drives the price
Tomato paste is priced off the fresh-tomato harvest, so the Indian season (roughly December to May, with a second flush in some regions) sets the base. Beyond that:
- Brix — a 36° paste costs more per tonne than 28° but delivers more tomato solids; compare on a solids basis, not a tonne basis.
- Hot-break carries a small premium over cold-break at the same Brix because of the extra energy and lower yield.
- Format — totes are cheaper per kilo than drums; drums are cheaper to handle in a small plant.
- Incoterm — FOB Indian port, CIF your port, or DDP to your dock. Ask for all three so the freight is visible.
- Volume commitment — an annual contract with call-offs is priced better than spot buys because it lets the processor plan blending across the season.
A practical checklist before your first container
- Decide hot-break or cold-break and the Brix you will standardise to.
- Request a specification sheet and a COA from a current lot; compare them.
- Confirm FCE/SID references (US) or the multi-residue screen (EU/UK).
- Choose drum or tote and check your unloading equipment.
- Agree the incoterm and the delivery window; aseptic paste does not need a reefer.
- Order a trial pallet if your line has never run this supplier's paste — Bostwick behaves differently at the kettle than on paper.
ODOD Group supplies aseptic tomato paste to sauce, soup and ready-meal manufacturers in the US, UK, Ireland and the EU from FDA-registered, HACCP / ISO 22000-certified processors, with a COA on every lot. If you have a target specification, send it to us and we will quote a full container within a working day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hot-break and cold-break tomato paste?
Hot-break paste is heated to 85–95 °C immediately after crushing, which deactivates pectin enzymes and keeps natural pectin intact — higher viscosity, ideal for ketchup, pizza and pasta sauces. Cold-break is processed at 60–65 °C, giving a brighter red colour and fresher flavour with lower viscosity, preferred for juices and products where colour matters more than body.
Do you supply 36–38° Brix and single-concentrate paste?
Yes. The standard programme is 28–30° hot-break; 36–38° cold-break and 22–24° single-concentrate are supplied against the same test panel. Custom Brix within these ranges is possible on full-container quantities.
How is the paste packed and how many drums fit a container?
Aseptic high-barrier bags in 220 L steel drums (about 220 kg net) or 1,000 L bag-in-box totes. A 20-ft container carries about 80 drums, roughly 17.6 tonnes net.
What documents come with a shipment to the US, UK or EU?
Certificate of Analysis for the lot (Brix, Bostwick, pH, colour, mould count, microbiology), Certificate of Origin, packing list, and for the US the FCE/SID references for the aseptic process. Halal certificates and a pesticide multi-residue report are supplied on request.
Is the paste FDA-compliant for the US market?
The paste meets the 21 CFR 155.191 standard for tomato concentrates and is produced under a filed scheduled process for acidified aseptic products. Your FSVP importer receives our facility registration details, HACCP summary and COA for verification.
Can you support EU pesticide and contaminant requirements?
Yes. Lots for the EU and UK are screened against Regulation (EC) 396/2005 MRLs and (EU) 2023/915 contaminant limits; a multi-residue report from an accredited laboratory is issued per lot on request.