Tomato paste

No E-numberFruits & vegetablesOrigin: Plant

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Every diet

VeganYes

Gluten-freeYes

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoYes

A couple of tablespoons has about 5 grams of carbohydrate.

Low-FODMAPDepends

A small amount is low FODMAP, a large serving is not.

The short answer

Tomato paste is a concentrated food, not an additive, and it carries no E-number. It is safe for nearly everyone, and it is the cheapest way for a maker to add real tomato solids to a sauce. Check the label for added salt and sugar.

90/100

Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone

Comes fromPlant

What it doesFruits & vegetables

Glycemic index15

Daily limitNot set

Also calledTomato paste, Tomato concentrate

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive

🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive

🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive

CaliforniaNo extra rules

Tomato paste is a food, not an additive, so it has no E-number and no daily intake limit. It falls under the general rules for preserved vegetable products, and anything added to it, such as salt, sugar or a preservative, has to be declared on the label separately.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

A tablespoon of tomato paste is about 16 grams of cooked-down tomato, so it delivers flavour, colour and body at a fraction of the volume of fresh tomatoes. Per 100 grams the paste is around 82 calories with 19 grams of carbohydrate and 12 grams of sugar, all of it coming from the fruit. The sugars are the natural ones of ripe tomato, but they are concentrated, and the fibre goes up with them.

Where it comes from: Tomato paste is tomatoes cooked down until most of their water has boiled away. What is left is a thick concentrate of the fruit's solids, which is why a spoonful adds so much flavour and colour to a pan.

Why it’s in food

Adding tomato flavour to a sauce
Colouring a sauce or a stew
Thickening a braise or a soup
Stretching flavour in a ready meal
Basing pizza and dipping sauces

Often found in

KetchupPizza saucePasta sauceRagùChilli and soupsBarbecue sauceTomato soup

Also listed as: Tomato paste, Tomato concentrate, Tomato puree, Paste of tomatoes

Health & gut impact

Concentrated lycopeneBenefit

The skin and the pulp stay in the paste, and those are where most of the lycopene sits. Heating also makes that pigment easier for the body to take up, so a spoonful of paste carries more of it than the same weight of fresh tomato.

EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on lycopene

Sugar per spoonfulConcern

A 100 gram serving of paste holds about 19 grams of carbohydrate and 12 grams of sugar, which in plain paste comes from the fruit itself rather than from added sugar. A tablespoon is about a sixth of that, so the sugar in a spoonful stays small, at around 2 grams.

USDA FoodData Central, tomato paste, canned

Vitamin CUnder study

EFSA sets a daily reference value of 80 milligrams of vitamin C for adults, and a fresh tomato delivers about 14 milligrams per 100 grams. A spoonful of paste holds around 3 milligrams, so the vitamin C in a plate of pasta comes from the tomatoes rather than from the paste.

EFSA, dietary reference values for vitamin C

What can I use instead?

Fresh tomatoes

Ratio: Cook about three times their weight down until it thickens

Best for: Sauces made from scratch, where you want the flavour fresh

Roasted red pepper purée

Ratio: Use half the volume and add a splash of water

Best for: Colour and body without the sharpness

Ketchup

Ratio: Use a third less, it is thinner and sweeter

Best for: A quick tomato flavour in a burger or a dipping sauce

More fruits & vegetables:

Lemon juiceLemon juice is a food, not an additive, and one of the easiest ingredients to live with: no fat and barely any carbohydrate. Use it for flavour instead of salt or heavy sauces, and check concentrates, which are far sharper.Generally safe Orange juice (Concentrate)Orange juice is a food rather than an additive, but a large glass is sugar with water in it and carries about 25 grams of carbohydrate. It suits most people; keep the glass small if you are watching sugar or blood glucose.Use in moderation RaisinsRaisins are dried grapes, and drying concentrates the sugar: a small handful has about 20 grams of carbohydrate, nearly all of it sugar. They are safe and gluten-free, but they are fruit candy in a wrapper, so count them if you watch blood glucose.Use in moderation SweetcornSweetcorn is a vegetable, not an additive, and one of the few starchy vegetables that counts as a vegetable on most diets. It is vegan, gluten-free and safe, but a cob is around 30 grams of carbohydrate, so it does not fit a keto plate.Generally safe

Common questions

Is tomato paste the same as tomato purée?

In US usage, purée is crushed tomato with the skin left in, while paste is cooked down much further. Both work in a sauce, but paste gives more body and less water, and it carries more of the cooked flavour.

Is tomato paste an additive?

No. It is a food, so it has no E-number and no daily intake limit. Anything added to it, such as salt, sugar or a preservative, is declared separately on the ingredients list.

Does tomato paste have added sugar?

Plain tomato paste should not, because ripe tomato is sweet enough on its own. Many jars and squeeze tubes do add sugar or syrup for a smoother, sweeter sauce, so read the ingredients list before you buy.

Can I use tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes?

Yes, in most cooked dishes. Use roughly a third of the volume of fresh tomatoes and add a splash of water, because the paste is already concentrated and the sauce will thicken faster.

Is Tomato paste safe?

Generally safe (90/100). Tomato paste is a food, not an additive, so it has no E-number and no daily intake limit. It falls under the general rules for preserved vegetable products, and anything added to it, such as salt, sugar or a preservative, has to be declared on the label separately.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations

EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on lycopene
USDA FoodData Central, tomato paste, canned
EFSA, dietary reference values for vitamin C