Tomato Products

Abstract

Tomato products obtained from tomato juice or tomato passata having the following composition in percentage by weight: dry residue  5.5-20%, water 94.5-80%, 100% being the sum of the two components, wherein the amount of water insoluble and water soluble solids in the dry residue ranges in percentage by weight: Water insoluble solids from 18% to 70%, Water soluble solids from 82% to 30%, the sum of the two components being 100% of the dry residue.

1 . A process for the separation of the liquid (tomato juice serum) from a tomato suspension by using a separation solid-liquid apparatus wherein the suspension to be filtered is maintained under stirring at an angular speed from 1 rpm to 20 rpm, preferably from 2 rpm to 10 rpm, the stirrer being of a shape to convey the suspension toward the central axis of the apparatus, or there is not a stirrer and it is the apparatus that rotates. 
   
   
       2 . A process according to  claim 1  wherein the apparatus for separating the liquid from a tomato suspension is a sieve maintained under an oscillating motion, preferably under a nutational motion, the oscillations per minute being from 1 to 20 oscillations/min, preferably from 2 to 10 oscillations/min. 
   
   
       3 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein sterile conditions are used or the final tomato product undergoes a sterilization process. 
   
   
       4 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein it is operated at temperatures in the range 5EC-25EC, preferably 10EC-15EC, at atmospheric pressure, or using pressures slightly higher than that atmospheric, from 760 mm Hg (0.101 MPa) up to 900 mm Hg (0.120 MPa) or by applying pressures slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure, down to 450 mm Hg (0.06 MPa). 
   
   
       5 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein it is used a separation solid liquid apparatus constituted of a vessel having walls with slots or with holes; wherein the width of the slots or the diameter of holes is not greater than 0.1 mm and preferably not smaller than 0.02 mm, the slot length ranging from 30 cm to 2 meters, said vessel having a cylindrical section, the separator equipped with a mechanical stirrer, the distance between the separator walls and the stirrer blades is from 0.5 to 2 cm. 
   
   
       6 . A process according to  claim 2 , wherein a concave- or flat-shaped sieve, having a holes diameter or slot widths not greater than 0.1 mm, preferably not lower than 0.02 mm, preferably it is operated at atmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       7 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein it is used an equipment constituted by a cylinder constituted by food grade stainless steel wherein the walls have openings or slots formed by woven wire cloth, or by screens, or said walls have holes, being the width of the openings of slots, or the diameter in the case of holes, not greater than 0.1 mm and preferably not lower than 0.02 mm, said cylinder having inside a stirrer in the form of an Archimedean screw revolving free in the fixed cylinder, or the cylinder is a rotating tube wound helically about a cylindrical axis. 
   
   
       8 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein rotation of the moving part is at an angular speed of 2-10 rpm. 
   
   
       9 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein the cylinder is in an horizontal position, and has a diameter ranging from 30 cm and 1 meter, a length from 2 meters to 20 meters and preferably from 2 meters to 5 meters for apparatus working in a discontinuos way; preferably about 20 meters for the apparatuses working in a continuous way. 
   
   
       10 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein when treating tomato suspensions deriving from partially ripened tomatoes the separation solid-liquid apparatus is provided with slots width or holes diameter not higher than 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.3 mm. 
   
   
       11 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the tomato products have a content of water insoluble solids in the dry residue in the range 40-70%. 
   
   
       12 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the tomato products having a content of water insoluble solids in the dry residue in the range 40-70%, are added of lyophilized or cryoconcentrated serum, or serum concentrated by osmosis membrane or by evaporation under vacuum, to obtain tomato products having a lower content of water insoluble solids in the dry residue, preferably in the range 18-40%. 
   
   
       13 . A process for the separation of tomato juice serum from a tomato suspension by using a separation solid-liquid apparatus wherein the suspension to be filtered is maintained under stirring at an angular speed from 1 rpm to 20 rpm, the stirrer being of a shape to convey the suspension toward the central axis of the apparatus, or wherein there is no stirrer and the apparatus rotates. 
   
   
       14 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus for separating the liquid from a tomato suspension is a sieve maintained under an oscillating motion, the oscillations being from 1 to 20 oscillations/min. 
   
   
       15 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein sterile conditions are used or the final tomato product undergoes a sterilization process. 
   
   
       16 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein the process is conducted at temperatures in the range of 5° C.-25° C., at atmospheric pressure, or at pressures slightly higher than atmospheric pressure, from 760 mm Hg (0.101 MPa) up to 900 mm Hg (0.120 MPa) or by applying pressures slightly lower than atmospheric pressure, down to 450 mm Hg (0.06 MPa). 
   
   
       17 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein a separation solid-liquid apparatus constituted of a vessel having walls with slots or with holes is employed, wherein the width of the slots or the diameter of the holes is not greater than 0.1 mm, the slot length ranging from 30 cm to 2 meters, said vessel having a cylindrical section, the separator being equipped with a mechanical stirrer, wherein the distance between the separator walls and the stirrer blades is from 0.5 to 2 cm. 
   
   
       18 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein a concave- or flat-shaped sieve, having hole diameters or slot widths not greater than 0.1 mm is operated at atmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       19 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein the equipment employed comprises a cylinder constituted by food grade stainless steel wherein the walls have openings or slots formed by woven wire cloth, or by screens, or said walls have holes, being the width of the openings of the slots, or hole diameters not greater than 0.1 mm, said cylinder having an inner stirrer in the form of an Archimedean screw revolving free in the fixed cylinder, or the cylinder is a rotating tube wound helically about a cylindrical axis. 
   
   
       20 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein the rotation of the moving part is at an angular speed of 2-10 rpm. 
   
   
       21 . A process according to  claim 19 , wherein the cylinder is in a horizontal position, and has a diameter ranging from 30 cm to 1 meter or a length from 2 meters to 20 meters for apparatus working in a discontinuous way or about 20 meters for apparatus which works in a continuous way. 
   
   
       22 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein the separation solid-liquid apparatus is provided with slots having a width or holes having a diameter not higher than 0.5 mm when treating tomato suspensions derived from partially ripened tomatoes. 
   
   
       23 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein the tomato composition has a content of water-insoluble solids in the dry residue from 18% to 30%. 
   
   
       24 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein to tomato compositions having a content of water-insoluble solids in the dry residue in the range from 20% to 30% is added lyophilized or cryoconcentrated serum, or serum concentrated by an osmosis membrane or by evaporation under vacuum.