Preferred Colour for Tomato Paste vs. Sauce
From tomato paste to sauce, the desired colour for each is unique based on customers' past experiences with these foods. These perceptions influence how the customer assesses the sauce or paste's quality and taste, so matching your products to the customers' preferred colour is critical.
Tomato paste's preferred colour is a deep red, reflecting tomatoes' natural colour. Bright red indicates colour additives, black suggests impurities, and purple hues mean the recipe used substandard tomatoes. When tomato paste is caramelized to release its flavor, the colour should change to a dark red or brown.
The desired colour of tomato sauce is a vibrant red, like fresh tomatoes. A tomato sauce recipe should use only the highest-quality tomatoes to ensure the correct colour and taste. A too-light or too-dark colour indicates poor tomato quality or impurities.
How to Measure the Colour of Tomato Products
Spectrophotometers are the preferred solution for measuring the colour of tomato sauce, paste, and similar products. The spectrophotometer records the colour measurement results based on a specific equation.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a Processed Products Standards and Quality Certification program to compare these measurements to the colour standards for tomato paste and sauce. The product's colour has a significant influence on the grade. Classifications include:
- Grade A: The tomato paste or sauce has a good colour — a deep or bright red hue.
- Grace C: The tomato paste or sauce has a fairly good colour, which may be slightly dull or brown instead of red.
- Substandard: The tomato paste or sauce fails to meet the requirements for Grade C.
