Study on losses in the tomato processing industry

Abstract

In the present work formulas were proposed to calculate the expected yield of concentrated tomato pulp as an aid to control the processing industry performance. In order to test these formulas a comparative study between the calculated expected yield and the obtained yield utilizing daily registers of a medium size processing industry of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, of 1981 and 1982 crop was made. In the same study the losses of tomatoes discarded in the selection belt and as seeds and peel from the pulpers. The Brix mean values were also evaluated. The results showed that the formulas are fitted to the purpose they were developed since the difference between expected and obtained yields were -1,49% in 1981 and +1,74% in 1982. The losses in discarded tomatoes were considered high when compared to those of other countries which means low quality raw material. The relatively high Brix mean values, up yo 5.62, were considered a very good advance over previous years.