Any person can begin a fruit juice business from home or on an extremely small amount. Fruit juices are one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. And individuals drink them in both raw and processed forms. Generally speaking, fruit juices are perishables. So, the processing enhances the lifespan of the product.
It’s easy to get started. You can produce one or several items.
The scientific name of tomatoes is Lycopersicon esculentum. They belong to the order Solanoideae (tomatoes) and the suborder Cucurbitales (potato).
In addition to being one of the most widely grown vegetables, they also rank second behind potatoes in the world. The leading producers include China, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, and
Americans eat about one-third of their food in restaurants and another third at home. Most people eat out at least once a week. In 2011, the average American spent $8,000 eating out.
That’s almost twice what they spent on groceries. Restaurants make up only 10 percent of the total economy, but they account for 20 percent of consumer spending. And restaurants are growing much faster than any other part of the economy.
Is Tomato Processing Business Profitable?
Tomatoes are used for both industrial and domestic purposes. They’re processed into juices, purees, sauces, ketchup, and tomatoes themselves.
With an increase in the population’s standards of living in the city and the rapid urbanization in the rural regions, the need for ready-to-eat foods has increased. Furthermore, the change in people’s eating habits, which includes the growing fast-fast industry, has caused a rise in the market share of processed tomato products.
Recommended read: Most profitable cash crops to grow
Another important factor is the development of new technologies. Basically, Multi-Layer Plastic Packaging, Tetra packs, and Brick Packing have an enormous effect on the growth of the canned tomato market.
This kind of package allows the distribution of the product to faraway, distant, and remote places. Moreover, it allows keeping the product at room temperature for more than four months.
5-Step Tomato Processing Business Plan Guide for Beginners
When beginning a new venture, you need to have a well-thought-out idea of where you want to go. It is essential to know which markets you’re targeting before you start.
Furthermore, if you want to start out with a small business, it is best to start with just one product line.
1. Registration & Licensing
You need to register your business as per federal law. Choose the correct type of your business depending on the ownership and investing patterns. It is advisable to contact an experienced small business advisor to understand the permissions and license issues.
Furthermore, identify the upcoming taxes and legal requirements for your business.
2. Tomato Processing Plant & Machinery
You need to secure a location for your factory. But, the requirements of the area depend on several factors including a factory line, factory capacity, and the number and types of products produced.
Ask the equipment suppliers if they know any factories that might be interested in buying their machines. If so, ask them for a detailed manufacturing facility layout and an estimate of the cost of installing utilities like electricity, water, and skilled labor.
Basic machinery requirements depend on the specific products you want to manufacture. Here, however, we’ve put together a basic checklist of machinery for your ready reference.
- Steam boiler
- Washing machine (rotary drum washer)
- S.S. tilting type steam jacketed kettle of cap
- S.S. tilting type steam jacketed Vacuum kettle of cap
- Pulper cap.
- Exhaust and processing tank
- Pasteuriser tank
- Bottle washing machine
- Vacuum filling machine
- HDPE water storage tanks
- Other items such as buckets, cutting, and peeling knives, and so forth.
- Weighing balance
- Crown cork machine
- Weighing Scales platform
- Working Tables
- Laboratory Equipment
- Pollution Control Equipment
3. Raw Materials
You don’t need to say anything else. Just get a good supply of tomatoes from farmers who grow them organically.
You can get a deal from the tomato growers too. Also, you’ll need to arrange sugars, preservatives, salt, and spices for different kinds of products.
Read: How to start a cashew nuts processing business
4. Tomato Juice Processing
You first need to procure fully ripe and well-matured red tomatoes for making tomato juices. After washing them, slice them into pieces.
After crushing and steaming, put the crushed pieces in the steamer and heat them until they’re quite soft.
After straining out the skins, heat the tomato pulp until it reaches 90° C (194° F). Add the sugar and salt at 1% and then pour into hot jars. Seal immediately and boil in a pressure cooker for 10 min. Cool and store in a refrigerator.
a) Tomato Ketchup Processing
As a general rule, the percent of the soluble solids (sugar) in the ketchup depends on where you live. Therefore, you need to check the local laws and rules.
The juice extracted from the fruit is then pressed into a container. The pulp left after pressing is discarded. The resulting liquid is boiled down until thickened and reduced to about one-third of its original volume.
A small amount of spice is added along with sugar, salt, and acetic or citric acids. Finally, the mixture is bottled and stored in a cool place.
b) Tomato Paste & Pulp Processing
Tomato pulp and tomato powder can be prepared by various methods. You can get tomato processing technology from any reputable government research institute.
c) Tomato Puree Processing
First of all, take the juice as described above. Then, put it into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl. You can then add sugar if desired.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bottle and seal the jars. Process in boiling water for 30 minutes and allow to cool before serving.
d) Tomato Processing For Sauce
To prepare sauces, you must first concentrate the juices under a vacuum and at a controlled room temp. You then add ingredients according to your recipe requirements.
Boil the mixture under vacuum until it reaches the required level of 12% tomato soliÂdges and 28% total solid content. Pass the resulting liquid through a sifter to filter out any remaining fibers. Cool the mixture and add the preservative before packaging.
5. Promotion & Marketing
Promotion and advertising are the absolute necessities to bring about success in any business. In addition, you should also focus on the packaging. First, of all, make an effort to reach out to your local customers. And a well-distributed network is the best way to catch the local retail market.
Furthermore, supermarkets and shopping centers are great places to market your products. You can also think about exporting if you’re planning to start producing tomatoes on a larger scale.
You may like to read:Â Weight Loss Hashtags That Are Great for Motivation
