Welcome to tomato101.com
Steve Stewart
Tomato Industry Consultant
916.698.5229
Welcome to tomato101.com
Steve Stewart
Tomato Industry Consultant
916.698.5229
Tomato 101 Presentations
Description of Tomato 101
This presentation covers basic to detailed tomato processing concepts from field to final product.
I tailor the presentation to my audience: Plant employees, Plant managers, Maintenance, Supervisors, QA, R&D, Product Development, Engineering, Marketing, Operations, Purchasing, and companies selling to the tomato industry.
I use easy to understand terms, photos and videos, and interesting demonstrations.
I will travel to your location, bring my laptop loaded with the presentation, demos to help explain concepts, and the entire presentation copied in color and placed in 3-ring binders.
Sample of topics covered: How is tomato paste made, how are tomatoes peeled, how are tomatoes diced, what is paste finish? Hot break and cold break, what does that mean and how does it affect my products? How does an evaporator work in simple terms? How do you read mold, Brix, color, pH, drained weight? How is spoilage detected?
Tomato terminology explained.
Tomato 101 on site presentations are no longer offered. Phone meetings are offered.
Tomato Ingredient Manufacturers
Are your customers happy with the ingredients they purchase from you?
Did a rail car or truck load of tomato paste or diced tomatoes get rejected?
Are your customers questioning your lab results?
Do your customers know what specifications are important for their products?
I can speak with your customers to help them understand what criteria is important.
I can help you and your team optimize your manufacturing operation to deliver ingredients and products your customers expect.
I can work with your plant operations, engineers, maintenance, marketing, R&D, and QA to achieve your goals.
I can help with tomato processing ideas, tomato products, system layout, manufacturing techniques, yield and quality improvement, training videos.
Tomato Ingredient Manufacturers' Questions
Do you have questions like these? I can help.
What is the ideal break temperature?
Why is tomato paste Bostwick so high?
Why is it so low?
Why is serum low sometimes, and high others?
Can paste yield be improved?
What should our tailing moisture be?
How can we improve the appearance of whole peeled tomatoes?
The diced tomatoes are too mushy, can this be corrected?
Are the lab results correct?
Tomato Ingredient Buyers
Are you purchasing the correct tomato ingredients for your products?
Is your catsup too thin?
Is your pizza sauce too runny?
Is your spaghetti sauce too orange?
Is your tomato yield too low when you make your products?
Do the diced tomatoes turn to mush in your operation?
Does your COA list the correct specifications for your products?
I can help.
Tomato Ingredient Buyers' Questions
Do you have questions like these? I can help.
Is it better to buy cold break or hot break?
Can paste and dice yield be improved?
Why does paste and dice yield change with different suppliers?
How does diced tomato drained weight affect yield?
Why is our catsup so runny?
Sometimes our spaghetti sauce turns from red to orange.Can this be fixed?
Is pH important?
How do I know our lab is running the correct tests?
Is there a training video for lab tests?
Biography
I retired as a Director at Campbell Soup Company in 2006 after 36 years in the food industry. I started Tomato 101 in 2006, and consult for several food and equipment supply companies.
My career started at Campbell Soup as a chemist in quality control, eventually being promoted to QC Manager before switching to Operations. I was a tomato paste plant manager and started Campbell's aseptic tank farm and rail car delivery system.
I left Campbell's as Assistant to the Plant Manager, worked three years at T.H. Richards, a fruit and tomato processor, and worked one year at American Home Foods before returning to Campbell Soup in 1984 to run their new Tomato Processing Research Group. Years later I transferred to the Commercialization and Improvement Group in charge of tomato ingredients, tomato products processing, and new technology.
I was Chairman of the Tomato Processing Research Committee for 5 years for California League of Food Processors (CLFP), and currently I am Affiliate Member of CLFP.
I coauthored and presented CLFP's successful Tomato Processing School for 5 years.
The story behind Prego by Dr. Bill Hildebolt
