Tomato Processing Line | Paste, Sauce & Ketchup

A fully automated tomato paste processing line is the backbone of any efficient tomato paste manufacturing plant. Designed for high-volume, hygienic processing, this system transforms fresh tomatoes into a range of products—tomato paste,  sauce,  ketchup or juice—while reducing labor input and minimizing operational cost per kilo. Whether you're building a large-scale tomato paste production line or upgrading a mid-size tomato sauce manufacturing machine, every module is tailored for the physical behavior of tomato pulp, from fiber content to pectin activation and thermal sensitivity.

At the heart of a professional tomato processing plant, the system begins with a stainless-steel tomato receiving hopper and tomato elevator, feeding bulk tomatoes into a tomato washing and sorting unit. This ensures debris-free input and removes stones, leaves, and under-ripe fruits. Next, tomatoes enter a high-efficiency tomato crushing machine, preparing the  crushed tomato for pulping and refining.

The  crushed tomato  then passes through a tomato refining machine—also known as a tomato puree making machine or tomato finisher—which extracts juice and pulp while discarding seeds and peels. This machine is essential in both a tomato paste processing plant and a tomato sauce production line, ensuring smooth texture and controlled pulp density.

Temperature control is critical for texture and yield. The system supports both hot-break (80-85°C) and cold-break (50–55°C) processing. In Tomato Paste processing plants or when making thick paste, hot-break is preferred to stabilize viscosity. For juice or light sauces, cold-break preserves aroma and color. These modes are easily toggled via PLC recipes and HMI presets.

For paste, the next step is concentration. The tomato paste multi-effect forced circulation evaporator (forced circulation design) raises Brix to 28–38° under vacuum. This unit alone determines a large portion of the tomato paste processing plant cost, so its efficiency and ease of cleaning directly impact ROI. Advanced models include MVR or TVR for energy savings—vital for producers monitoring tomato paste production line price.

Once concentrated, product passes through a  tomato tube-in-tube sterilizer—ideal for high-viscosity fluids like tomato paste. UHT sterilization (108-110°C) ensures food safety without compromising taste or color. This is a must-have in any tomato paste production line or tomato sauce processing machine setup.

Final filling is handled by  tomato paste aseptic  filling machine for  aseptic bag packaged  in drum,or filling machine for pouch, sachet, tincan or bottle formats. Whether you're using a small-scale tomato sauce making machine or a fully integrated tomato ketchup manufacturing plant, sterile filling guarantees shelf-stable output. The entire path—from machine for tomato processing to packaging—is built for automated CIP cycles, rapid changeovers, and long service intervals.

Operators control all stages from a central HMI interface. With preset formulas for different SKUs—paste, puree, sauce, ketchup,juice—the line maintains flow, pressure, vacuum, and thermal setpoints with minimal manual input. As a result, one person can oversee the full system, even in a small scale tomato processing machine setup.

For factories comparing equipment, we provide full spec sheets, including tomato processing machine price, capacity ranges (0.5–20 TPH), and optional add-ons. Whether you're sourcing a tomato paste processing machine, a machine to make tomato sauce, or complete tomato processing equipment, our line is modular, scalable, and engineered to reduce downtime.