Development of Tomato Jam and Tomato Seasoning From Surplus Tomatoes: A Product Development and Shelf-Life Evaluation Study

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most widely produced vegetable crop in the Philippines and has a great potential. However, the seasonal surplus of this crop is often associated with significant post-harvest losses which lower farmer income and contributes to food wastage. Although tomatoes are traditionally processed into products such as sauces, ketchup and paste, there are few studies on the development of alternative value-added products from surplus tomatoes in the local farming communities. The objective of this study was to formulate tomato jam and tomato seasoning from surplus tomatoes harvested in Roxas, Isabela and assess their sensory acceptability and shelf-life stability under different storage conditions. A research and development (R&D) design was employed, including the formulation of standardized processing protocols, product development, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life assessment. The developed products were evaluated for appearance, color, aroma, flavor, texture, mouthfeel and overall acceptability and tomato seasoning was also evaluated for saltiness, sourness and bitterness. Shelf-life evaluation was done under refrigerated storage, room-temperature storage and direct sunlight exposure over three- and six-month storage periods. Sensory evaluation data was analyzed using weighted mean and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results revealed that the tomato jam and tomato seasoning had generally good sensory acceptability, suggesting that surplus tomatoes can be processed into consumer-acceptable value-added products. Shelf-life evaluation also showed that the products were acceptable in sensory characteristics during the storage period. Refrigerated storage was the most favorable for the preservation of product quality. The developed processing protocols provide a practical approach to reduce postharvest losses and create opportunities for value addition, food entrepreneurship and community-based livelihood development. The study provides empirical evidence in favor of the utilization of surplus tomatoes for innovative food processing and contributes to sustainable agricultural development through the promotion of locally developed, shelf-stable tomato-based products.

tomato jam, tomato seasoning, value-added processing, postharvest losses

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