Tomato
Our customers use tomatoes because of their versatility, rich flavor, and functional properties in a wide range of products. Tomatoes have a balanced sweet and acidic taste that enhances sauces, soups, juices, and prepared meals, making them a foundational ingredient in many cuisines. They are also rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, and the antioxidant lycopene, which supports heart health and wellness marketing claims. Tomatoes are commonly processed into pastes, purees, sauces, and concentrates, which extend shelf life and provide consistency in large-scale manufacturing. Additionally, their natural acidity helps with preservation and flavor balance, while their deep red color improves visual appeal in finished products.
Tomato can be supplied as organic upon request
Botanical: Solanum lycopersicum
The Fruit Dressed Like a Vegetable
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a nightshade crop that serves as one of the most critical foundational ingredients in global food manufacturing. Valued for its natural glutamates (umami), rich lycopene pigmentation, balancing citric and malic acidity, and structural pectin content, the processing tomato is engineered for high Natural Tomato Soluble Solids (NTSS), firm pericarp walls, and low seed-to-pulp ratios. In commercial processing, thermal processing techniques and breaking temperatures define the functionality, Bostwick viscosity, and flavor profile of the ingredient:
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Hot Break Processing (High Viscosity): Raw tomatoes are chopped and rapidly heated to temperatures above 200°F (93°C). This high-heat treatment deactivates naturally occurring pectolytic enzymes (pectinmethylesterase and polygalacturonase), preserving natural pectin structures. Hot Break tomato pastes and purees yield heavy Bostwick viscosity, high water-binding capacity, and smooth texture; essential for ketchups, thick pasta sauces, BBQ sauces, and glazes.
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Cold Break Processing (Fresh Flavor & Flowability): Raw tomatoes are chopped at lower temperatures (below 150°F / 65°C), allowing natural enzymes to partially reduce pectin chains before pasteurization. Cold Break tomato pastes and juice concentrates deliver bright red color, fresh tomato aroma, clean flavor release, and low Bostwick viscosity, making them ideal for RTD tomato juices, vegetable juice blends, soups, and seafood cocktails.
Brothers International partners with top processing facilities that cultivate dedicated processing cultivars (such as Roma and Heinz varieties) harvested at peak red maturity to maximize lycopene density and natural sweetness.
Global Sourcing Through the Brothers International Network:
Industrial tomato processing requires vast agricultural acreage, intense sunlight, controlled irrigation, and massive capital infrastructure. Because tomato crops can be impacted by drought, heatwaves, pest outbreaks, and energy cost shifts in processing hubs, securing a reliable year-round supply requires global supply chain integration. Brothers International connects North American food and beverage manufacturers to the world’s premier tomato-growing regions through our audited network of supplier partners. We source high-grade tomato ingredients from primary agricultural regions:
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North America (United States – California): California’s San Joaquin Valley is a global leader in processing tomatoes, producing world-class Hot Break and Cold Break tomato pastes, purees, and concentrates with complete vertical integration, field-to-can traceability, and strict regulatory compliance.
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Mediterranean & Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal & Turkey): Renowned for sweet, intensely colored European tomato paste, concentrated tomato purees, and specialized organic formats that form the backbone of gourmet sauces and savory preps.
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South America (Chile & Argentina): Provides vital counter-seasonal processing capacity, supplying high-grade tomato paste and purees during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter and spring months.
By coordinating supply across California, Southern Europe, and South America, Brothers International insulates your procurement operations from regional crop failures, water shortages, and price swings.
Harvest Cycles & Continuous Supply Management:
In the Northern Hemisphere (California, Europe), the processing tomato harvest is a high-speed, intensive operation running from late July through October. In the Southern Hemisphere (Chile), harvesting occurs counter-seasonally from January through April. Because raw tomatoes must be processed within hours of mechanical harvesting to prevent spoilage and uncontrolled enzyme breakdown, processing plants operate 24/7 during harvest windows.
Managing these continuous seasonal runs and multi-quarter inventory planning is a core competency of Brothers International. Our operations and logistics teams oversee bulk rail and ocean freight transport, USDA/FDA import clearances, C-TPAT supply chain security, and strategic warehousing across North America. Whether your line requires 55-gallon drums of 31° Brix Hot Break paste, aseptic totes of 12° Brix tomato puree, or 30° Brix tomato juice concentrate, our network guarantees ready inventory when your production line demands it.
Rigorous Quality Control, Traceability & Compliance:
Processing industrial tomato ingredients demands strict control over Howard Mold Count (HMC), Bostwick viscosity, titratable acidity, pH, and Natural Tomato Soluble Solids (NTSS). Every supplier within the Brothers International network undergoes a comprehensive auditing process to guarantee complete supply chain traceability, sustainable farming practices, and strict compliance with USDA, FDA, and international food safety standards.
Through our network, we deliver tomato ingredients backed by complete technical documentation and top-tier industry certifications, including GFSI benchmarks (BRC, SQF, FSSC 22000), USDA Organic (NOP), Kosher, Non-GMO, and Halal standards. Our quality assurance protocols include rigorous testing for HMC percentage (strictly under FDA defect action levels), Bostwick flow values, pesticide residue screening, lycopene absorbance, and Brix adherence under FDA 21 CFR § 101.30.
The Brothers International
Quality Promise
Brothers International and its 4 divisions, Brothers Ingredients, Dennick Fruit Source, Hosh International and Food Partners, are trusted global importers of premium ingredients to major food and beverage manufacturers in North America. We deliver consistent quality and supply across every format the industry demands. Our Tomato is sourced from the earth’s prime growing regions where farming expertise, climate and soil composition come together to produce Tomato of exceptional caliber. All of our suppliers undergo a rigorous vetting process to ensure we work with only the highest-quality processors and can fully guarantee traceability, sustainability, and compliance with all international regulations.
Each of our divisions has a specialized operations team to manage shipments and coordinate with customers and suppliers. They work closely with our in-house customs team to ensure efficient clearance, and collaborate with the USDA and FDA to maintain full regulatory compliance. This ensures your ingredients move seamlessly through every stage of import, arriving on time and ready for production with complete confidence. With decades of sourcing expertise and a strong commitment to customer success, you can count on Brothers International to deliver the premium ingredients your products require.
Industry Glossary
A Reference Guide for Fruit Ingredient Terminology
Check out our glossary for a consolidated reference of commonly used terminology across the global fruit ingredient industry. It provides straightforward definitions and context for the language and concepts referenced throughout the industry.
