What Does 36/38 Brix Mean in Tomato Paste?

What Does 36/38 Brix Mean in Tomato Paste?

When buying tomato paste for ketchup, sauces, soups, ready-to-eat foods, seasonings or other processed food products, one specification you may come across is 36/38 Brix.

But what exactly does 36/38 Brix mean?

For food manufacturers and ingredient buyers, Brix is more than just a number on a specification sheet. It helps indicate the concentration of soluble solids in tomato paste and plays an important role in formulation, ingredient usage, consistency, processing and final product quality.

What Is Brix?

Brix (°Bx) is a measurement commonly used to indicate the concentration of soluble solids in a food product. In a simple sugar-water solution, 1° Brix approximately corresponds to 1 gram of sucrose per 100 grams of solution.

In tomato products, however, the soluble solids are not simply sugar. They include naturally occurring soluble components such as sugars, acids, minerals and other dissolved tomato solids.

Therefore, when we talk about the Brix of tomato paste, we are essentially discussing its soluble-solids concentration.

What Does 36/38 Brix Mean?

36/38 Brix tomato paste generally refers to tomato paste having a soluble-solids concentration within the 36 to 38° Brix range, according to the applicable product specification.

This is a higher concentration range than 28/30 Brix tomato paste. The tomato processing process removes a greater amount of water so that the resulting ingredient contains a higher concentration of soluble tomato solids.

For example, tomato paste specified at approximately 37° Brix has a higher soluble-solids concentration than a tomato paste specified around 29° Brix.

For a detailed explanation of the lower concentration range, read our article on what 28/30 Brix means in tomato paste.

Why Is Tomato Paste Measured in Brix?

Fresh tomatoes contain a substantial amount of water. During industrial tomato processing, water is removed to increase the concentration of tomato solids.

Brix provides manufacturers and buyers with a practical way to understand and compare the concentration of tomato ingredients.

This is particularly important when tomato paste is used as an industrial ingredient because concentration can influence:

• Formulation calculations
• Ingredient usage rates
• Tomato flavour intensity
• Product body and texture
• Processing requirements
• Finished-product consistency
• Storage and transportation efficiency

36 Brix vs 37 Brix vs 38 Brix Tomato Paste

Although 36/38 Brix represents a specified concentration range, there can still be differences between products at the lower and higher ends of the range.

36 Brix Lower end Highly concentrated tomato ingredient 37 Brix Middle Intermediate concentration within the specification 38 Brix Higher end More concentrated tomato ingredient

The exact formulation impact depends on the recipe, processing conditions, viscosity requirements and the other ingredients used in the final product.

36/38 Brix vs 28/30 Brix Tomato Paste

One of the most important differences between these specifications is the level of soluble-solids concentration.

28/30 Brix Lower concentration Suitable where the formulation is designed around this concentration 36/38 Brix Higher concentration Suitable where a higher-solids tomato ingredient is required

A higher-Brix tomato paste can provide more soluble tomato solids per kilogram of ingredient. This can influence the amount of paste required in a formulation.

However, higher Brix does not automatically mean that one product is better for every application. The appropriate specification depends on the manufacturer's formulation and technical requirements.

Is 36/38 Brix the Same as Tomato Puree?

No. Tomato puree and tomato paste represent different levels of tomato concentration.

If you want to understand the basic product and processing differences, read our detailed guide on what tomato puree is and how it is made.

Tomato puree generally has a lower concentration than tomato paste, while tomato paste is processed to achieve a substantially higher concentration of tomato soluble solids.

36/38 Brix and Tomato Concentrate

The terms tomato paste and tomato concentrate can sometimes be used differently depending on the product specification, market and application. In industrial tomato processing, concentration refers to the removal of water to increase tomato solids.

For a detailed explanation, read our article on what tomato concentrate is and how it is made.

You can also read our comparison of tomato puree vs tomato concentrate to understand the differences between these tomato ingredients, including concentration, applications and processing.

Why Does 36/38 Brix Matter to Food Manufacturers?

1. It Helps With Formulation

When developing ketchup, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, cooking sauces, soups or ready-to-eat products, manufacturers need to know the concentration of the tomato ingredient being used.

A higher-solids tomato ingredient can deliver the required amount of tomato solids using a different quantity compared with a lower-solids ingredient.

This means formulation teams need to account for the actual Brix specification when calculating ingredient usage.

2. It Can Influence Ingredient Usage

Because 36/38 Brix tomato paste has a higher soluble-solids concentration than 28/30 Brix paste, manufacturers may use different quantities of the two ingredients to achieve a particular formulation target.

For procurement teams, this is why comparing only the price per kilogram can sometimes be misleading.

3. It Supports Product Consistency

Using tomato paste within a defined Brix specification can help manufacturers maintain greater consistency between production batches.

This is especially important for commercial products where colour, flavour, texture, body and overall performance need to remain consistent.

4. It Matters for Industrial Procurement

For procurement and sourcing teams, Brix is an important specification when comparing tomato paste suppliers.

However, buyers should evaluate Brix together with other technical and commercial parameters such as viscosity, colour, pH, acidity, microbiological parameters, packaging, shelf life, processing method and documentation.

Does Higher Brix Always Mean Better Tomato Paste?

Not necessarily.

The appropriate Brix depends on the application and the manufacturer's formulation requirements.

A ketchup manufacturer may have different requirements from a soup manufacturer, sauce producer or ready-to-eat food manufacturer.

Therefore, buyers should not select tomato paste simply because it has the highest Brix. The better approach is to select the concentration that matches the intended application, formulation and processing conditions.

What Should Buyers Check When Purchasing 36/38 Brix Tomato Paste?

Brix is only one part of a tomato paste specification. Before placing a bulk order, food manufacturers should also confirm:

• Brix: Confirm that the product meets the required 36/38 Brix specification.
• Processing method: Confirm whether the product meets the required processing specification.
• Viscosity: Important for applications where body and texture are critical.
• Colour: Particularly important for ketchup, sauces and other tomato-based products.
• pH and acidity: Confirm against the agreed product specification.
• Microbiological parameters: Verify that the product meets applicable requirements.
• Packaging: Confirm the bulk packaging format and handling requirements.
• Shelf life: Check the manufacturer's stated shelf life and storage conditions.
• Certificate of Analysis: Request relevant batch-specific or agreed quality documentation.

Why Compare Brix Before Buying Tomato Paste?

When comparing tomato paste suppliers, buyers should consider the concentration of the ingredient alongside the price.

For example, a supplier offering a lower price per kilogram may not necessarily provide the same amount of soluble tomato solids as a higher-Brix product.

For this reason, purchasing decisions should consider the overall formulation cost, required usage rate and technical performance rather than focusing only on the quoted price per kilogram.

36/38 Brix Tomato Paste for Industrial Applications

Higher-Brix tomato paste can be considered for a wide range of industrial food applications where concentrated tomato solids are required.

Potential applications include:

• Ketchup
• Tomato sauces
• Pasta sauces
• Pizza sauces
• Soups
• Ready-to-eat foods
• Seasonings
• Foodservice products
• Other processed tomato-based foods

The suitability of 36/38 Brix paste depends on the specific formulation, technical requirements and agreed product specification.

36/38 Brix and 28/30 Brix: What Is the Difference?

In simple terms, both are concentrated tomato paste specifications, but they represent different soluble-solids concentration ranges.

28/30 Brix represents a lower concentration range, while 36/38 Brix represents a higher concentration range.

Understanding this difference can help food manufacturers determine the appropriate ingredient quantity and compare supplier quotations more effectively.

For more information, read our detailed article on what 28/30 Brix means in tomato paste.

A future comparison article will provide a more detailed comparison of 28/30 Brix vs 36/38 Brix tomato paste, including concentration, formulation considerations, usage and procurement factors.

36/38 Brix: A Simple Explanation

In simple terms, when you see 36/38 Brix tomato paste on a product specification, it indicates that the tomato paste has soluble solids within the specified 36 to 38° Brix range.

Because this is a higher concentration range, the ingredient contains a greater concentration of soluble tomato solids than lower-Brix tomato paste.

For food manufacturers, this information can help determine how the ingredient fits into a formulation and how much tomato paste may be required to achieve the desired product characteristics.

Looking for Tomato Puree or Concentrate?

SNR Foods supplies tomato ingredients for food manufacturing and industrial applications.

If you are looking for tomato puree or tomato concentrate for your production requirements, you can view our tomato products.

Whether you are developing ketchup, sauces, ready-to-eat foods, soups or other tomato-based products, selecting the appropriate concentration and specification is important for consistent production.

Conclusion

36/38 Brix is an important specification for food manufacturers and ingredient buyers purchasing concentrated tomato paste.

It indicates a higher soluble-solids concentration and can influence formulation, ingredient usage, processing, product consistency and procurement decisions.

However, Brix should not be evaluated in isolation. A complete purchasing decision should also consider viscosity, colour, pH, acidity, microbiological quality, packaging, shelf life, processing method and other agreed specifications.

If you are looking to source tomato puree or concentrate for commercial food production, inquire now with SNR Foods to discuss your requirements.