Summary: Canned tomato paste is one of the most common food products packed in metal cans. For large-scale production, manufacturers usually use food-grade tinplate cans because tinplate offers good strength, printability, sealing performance, and food packaging suitability. This blog explains how tomato paste cans are made in bulk, from tinplate coil or sheet purchasing, can body design, printing, lid selection, EOE can options, sterilization, quality control, and export certificates.
Tags: Canned Tomato Paste, Tinplate Can, Food Grade Tinplate, EOE Can Lid, Easy Open End, Tomato Paste Packaging, Metal Food Can, Tinplate Coil, Tinplate Sheet, Henan GDD Metal
Tomato paste is acidic, concentrated, and widely exported in retail and food-service packaging. To keep the product safe, stable, and attractive on the shelf, many manufacturers choose tinplate cans as the packaging solution.
Tinplate is a thin steel sheet coated with a layer of tin. It combines the mechanical strength of steel with the corrosion resistance and food packaging performance of tin coating. For tomato paste packaging, tinplate is usually combined with a suitable food-grade internal lacquer to protect the metal surface from acid corrosion and to help maintain product quality during storage and transportation.
For bulk tomato paste can production, the basic packaging chain usually includes:
The first step is to choose the right tinplate material. Tomato paste cans require stable forming performance, good weldability, proper tin coating, and food-safe coating compatibility. Manufacturers may purchase tinplate in coils or sheets depending on their production equipment.
Tinplate coil is suitable for high-volume automatic production lines, while tinplate sheets are often used by can makers with sheet-fed printing and can body forming equipment.
| Item | Common Specification | Application Note |
|---|---|---|
| Material | ETP / SPTE tinplate | Common material for food cans and printed metal packaging |
| Thickness | 0.13 mm – 0.50 mm | Can body and end thickness should be selected according to can size and filling process |
| Temper | T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, DR8, DR9 | Soft temper is easier to form; harder temper provides better strength for certain can structures |
| Tin Coating | 2.8/2.8, 5.6/5.6, 8.4/8.4 g/m² or customized | Higher tin coating can improve corrosion resistance, depending on product and lacquer system |
| Surface Finish | Bright, Stone, Silver, Matte | Different finishes can be selected for printing, coating, and appearance requirements |
| Inner Coating | Food-grade lacquer, epoxy phenolic, acrylic, polyester, BPA-NI options | The coating must be compatible with acidic tomato products |
| Supply Form | Coil or sheet | Coils are suitable for continuous production; sheets are suitable for printed can body production |
Before mass production, the tomato paste producer needs to confirm the can size, net weight, market positioning, and label design. Common tomato paste can sizes may include small retail cans, family-size cans, and large food-service cans.
The can body design usually includes:
For printed tinplate cans, the artwork is usually printed directly on the tinplate sheet before can body forming. This gives the can a professional appearance and helps the product stand out on supermarket shelves.
Metal printing is different from paper label printing. For tinplate cans, the printing process usually includes external coating, color printing, varnishing, and oven drying. The inner side of the tinplate needs food-grade lacquer, especially when the can is used for acidic products such as tomato paste.
A typical printed tinplate process may include:
Good printing and coating quality are important because the can must not only look attractive but also withstand forming, filling, seaming, sterilization, transportation, and long-term storage.
After printing and coating, tinplate sheets are cut into blanks and formed into cylindrical can bodies. For three-piece food cans, the can body is usually welded along the side seam, then flanged and beaded to improve strength.
The basic can body making process includes:
For tomato paste cans, welding quality and seam protection are very important. Poor welding or poor internal coating may cause leakage, corrosion, swelling, or product contamination.
The opening method affects consumer convenience, production cost, shelf display, and market positioning. Tomato paste cans can use different lid types, including normal ends, easy open ends, peel-off ends, and other customized solutions.
| Can Lid Type | Opening Method | Advantages | Considerations | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal End | Opened with a can opener | Cost-effective, strong sealing performance, suitable for bulk production | Less convenient for consumers because a can opener is required | Standard food cans, industrial food-service cans |
| EOE / Easy Open End | Opened by pulling the ring tab | Convenient, retail-friendly, improves user experience | Higher cost than normal ends; scoring and tab quality must be well controlled | Retail tomato paste cans, canned vegetables, canned beans, ready-to-eat foods |
| Peel-Off End | Opened by peeling off a membrane or foil layer | Lightweight and easy to open, good for premium convenience packaging | Requires suitable sealing technology and product compatibility testing | Special food cans, convenience packaging, selected premium products |
| Aluminum Easy Open End | Opened by ring pull | Lightweight, easy to open, good consumer convenience | Material compatibility and seaming performance must be confirmed | Selected food and beverage packaging |
| TFS / ECCS End | Normal or easy open structure | Good coating adhesion, suitable for many can ends and easy open ends | Must be coated because TFS does not have tin coating | Easy open ends, food can ends, beverage ends |
For retail tomato paste, EOE cans are increasingly popular because consumers can open the can without a can opener. For price-sensitive markets or food-service packaging, normal ends are still widely used because they are economical and reliable.
After empty cans are prepared, the tomato paste is filled into the cans through a food production line. The tomato paste itself must be produced from qualified raw tomatoes, concentrated to the required Brix level, filtered, heated, filled, and sealed under controlled hygienic conditions.
The filling process usually includes:
For food safety, the producer should control critical factors such as pH, Brix, filling temperature, can seam quality, vacuum level, container integrity, and process records.
Commercial canned food must be processed according to a validated thermal process. The exact sterilization or pasteurization parameters should be designed and verified by a qualified food processing authority based on product formulation, pH, can size, filling temperature, viscosity, equipment type, and target market regulations.
For tomato paste products, manufacturers usually pay attention to:
Sterilization is not only a production step. It is a food safety control point. A can may look perfect from the outside, but if the thermal process is not validated, the product may still have serious safety risks. Therefore, tomato paste producers should establish HACCP-based control systems and keep complete production records.
Before shipment, both the can and the tomato paste should be inspected. Quality control helps reduce claims, leakage, swelling, rusting, label issues, and food safety risks.
| Inspection Area | Key Inspection Items | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Tinplate Material | Thickness, temper, tin coating, surface finish, coating adhesion | Ensure forming performance and corrosion resistance |
| Can Body | Welding quality, body diameter, height, beading, flanging | Ensure strength and dimensional accuracy |
| Double Seam | Seam thickness, seam width, overlap, tightness, countersink depth | Prevent leakage and contamination |
| Internal Coating | Coverage, scratches, pinholes, acid resistance, migration test | Protect tomato paste and prevent metal corrosion |
| Finished Product | Vacuum, net weight, pH, Brix, color, taste, microbiology, swelling test | Confirm product quality and food safety |
| Packaging | Carton strength, pallet condition, container loading, batch coding | Reduce transport damage and improve traceability |
When canned tomato paste is sold in another country, the required certificates may vary depending on the destination market, buyer requirements, food category, packaging material, and local import regulations. The following list is for general reference. Importers should always confirm the latest requirements with local authorities or professional customs agents before shipment.
| Document / Certificate | Common Purpose | Typical Market Use |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice | Shows product value, seller, buyer, quantity, and trade terms | Required for most export and import customs clearance |
| Packing List | Shows carton count, pallet details, gross weight, net weight, and container loading information | Required for customs clearance and logistics |
| Certificate of Origin | Confirms the origin of the goods | Often required for customs duty calculation and trade preference claims |
| Health Certificate | Confirms that the food product meets relevant sanitary requirements | Commonly required for food import clearance |
| Phytosanitary Certificate | May be required for certain plant-origin food products depending on destination rules | Some countries may request it for tomato-based products |
| HACCP Certificate | Shows that the factory has a hazard analysis and critical control point food safety system | Widely requested by food importers and retailers |
| ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 / BRCGS | Food safety management system certification | Often requested by supermarkets, distributors, and brand owners |
| Halal Certificate | Confirms compliance with Halal requirements | Important for Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Muslim consumer markets |
| FDA Food Facility Registration | Required for many food facilities exporting food to the United States | United States market |
| FCE / SID Filing | Food Canning Establishment registration and Scheduled Process filing for acidified or low-acid canned foods when applicable | United States market, depending on product classification and process |
| EU Food Contact Material Compliance | Supports compliance of packaging materials intended to contact food | European Union market |
| Migration Test Report | Tests whether substances from the coating or packaging migrate into food simulants within allowed limits | EU, US, Middle East, and other regulated markets |
| Tinplate Mill Test Certificate | Shows tinplate grade, thickness, temper, coating, and mechanical properties | Used by can makers and buyers for material traceability |
Tomato paste is more demanding than many dry products because it contains acid, moisture, and salt depending on the formula. If the tinplate, internal lacquer, welding, or seaming quality is poor, the can may face problems such as internal corrosion, rust, leakage, swelling, or shortened shelf life.
Therefore, tomato paste can manufacturers should choose tinplate based on real production requirements instead of only comparing price. A suitable tinplate solution should consider:
Henan GDD Metal supplies tinplate coils, tinplate sheets, TFS materials, printed tinplate materials, and food can packaging raw materials for global customers. Our tinplate products can be used for tomato paste cans, food cans, beverage cans, aerosol cans, metal lids, easy open ends, caps, and printed metal packaging.
We can support customers with:
Bulk production of canned tomato paste is not only about tomato processing. It also depends on reliable metal packaging. From tinplate material selection to printed can body production, lid design, EOE can selection, double seaming, sterilization, and export documentation, each step affects the final product quality and market acceptance.
For tomato paste manufacturers, choosing the right food-grade tinplate coil or sheet is the foundation of stable canned food packaging. With proper material selection, professional can making, validated sterilization, and complete export documents, tomato paste cans can enter global markets with better safety, appearance, and commercial competitiveness.
If you are looking for tinplate materials for tomato paste cans, food cans, EOE can lids, or printed metal packaging, contact Henan GDD Metal for reliable tinplate coil and sheet supply.
[1]: https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic-food-and-dietary-supplements/acidified-low-acid-canned-foods-guidance-documents-regulatory-information?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Acidified & Low-Acid Canned Foods Guidance Documents & Regulatory Information | FDA”