Paste production planning: Fresh tomatoes and peppers versus re-pack

Separate fresh raw material from re-pack

Fresh tomato or pepper processing begins with preparing the incoming crop. FRUMAK describes re-pack as processing double-concentrated paste supplied in aseptic drums: adjusting it to the required Brix, pasteurising it and filling the selected packaging. The scope therefore extends beyond simply changing containers. Do not assume a re-pack project needs the complete fresh-product preparation section, or that a filler alone covers production from fresh tomatoes. State the incoming product at the beginning of the brief.

If a business plans fresh-product manufacturing for part of the year and re-pack at other times, show how the routes connect. Identify shared equipment, different feeding points and product changes. Each starting route needs a defined acceptance condition, not simply another product name in the quotation.

Evaluate concentration under defined production conditions

FRUMAK describes its compression evaporator in terms of removing water to increase concentration and reusing the generated vapour. It associates the equipment particularly with paste processing. The machine name does not establish identical finished output or energy performance for every feed product.

Define the product entering the evaporator, target outlet and operating conditions for evaluation. Include utilities and connection points. Do not convert an ambiguous catalogue capacity into an hourly production or savings claim without confirming the unit and context. The engineering assessment must use defined inlet and outlet conditions.

Build the seasonal plan around the complete line

Fresh-product factories need to explain when raw material arrives and when it will be processed. Concentrated seasonal operation and a more distributed production schedule create different operating scenarios. Review receiving, preparation, concentration and filling together on an example schedule.

Incoming crop quantity and saleable paste quantity are different figures. Separation and concentration mean they describe different process points. Write down where each quoted capacity is measured. This enables comparison against the same production duty instead of relying on a tonnage that may refer to a different part of another supplier's scope.

Bring actual paste and packaging to the filling discussion

Filling needs to be reviewed with actual product characteristics and the intended package. FRUMAK describes volumetric and flowmeter alternatives, which do not have identical application boundaries. Nozzle count alone is not an adequate selection method without the product and packaging samples.

Include closing and downstream handling in the proposal boundary. Discuss adjustments, change parts and upstream response during packaging changes. For re-pack, explicitly identify responsibility for emptying the incoming container and preparing product for filling. Focusing only on the retail jar can leave the beginning of the project undefined.

Test utilities and changeovers against the seasonal schedule

Provide existing steam, electricity, water and other relevant services before finalising concentration and filling equipment. Define the interface between building services and the supplied machinery. Values from one machine's data table must not be treated as the requirements of another model; project conditions and selected equipment need to be reviewed together.

Where tomatoes and peppers run in different periods, the changeover is more than selecting a recipe. Preparation suitability, residual material, cleaning and filling adjustments all need discussion. Build an activity list around the planned product sequence instead of requesting an unsupported universal cleaning duration.

Request capacities at named points such as fresh tomato input, evaporator feed or paste ready for filling. In re-pack operation, incoming containers and the transfer arrangement become particularly important. A single numerical rating should not be treated as proof of the entire investment's output without defined material and product conditions.

Compare proposals with equivalent scope and acceptance

Check that competing proposals start with the same raw material, include equivalent equipment and end at the same point. Review automation, site connections, installation, training and trials separately. A shorter equipment list cannot be judged simply as better value before the missing or different scope is understood.

Prepare the starting route, target paste, packaging, operating calendar and building conditions for the first meeting. Agree trial materials, measurement locations and who evaluates the product. The purchasing decision then rests on a defined manufacturing task rather than general factory promises.