Employed individuals, hotel staff, as well as chefs and cooks, are increasingly leaning towards using crushed and deseeded tomatoes for convenient and rapid cooking.
Horticulture experts acknowledged the increasing demand for processed tomato products at a national conference, ‘Tomato: Problems, perspectives, and plant-breeding solutions,’ held at the University of Horticultural Sciences in Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra on Saturday.
The surge in demand is attributed to hectic lifestyles and the desire for quick meal preparation, as reported. Notably, this shift has also led to a decrease in tomato wastage and an enhancement of kitchen productivity. Research conducted by the city-based Center for Processed Food among both household and commercial consumers revealed that a significant number are selecting processed tomato items due to their extended shelf life.
“Hoteliers, the catering industry, independent chefs, kitchen maids, homemakers, working professionals and senior citizens are favouring tomato puree over actual fruits. The preference is largely to avoid spending time cutting/peeling fruits and their limited shelf life,” explained Chethan Hanchate, director of Centre for Processed Food.
Surinder Tikoo, Co-Founder and research adviser of Tierra Agrotech, said, “At present, only 1% of the total tomato production is directed towards processing. India annually imports Rs 118 million worth of tomato paste from China, highlighting the potential market for such products in this country.”
Krishna Kumar, former deputy director-general (horticulture) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said, “The trend of ready-to-eat foods among urban dwellers is behind this change.”