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Tomato paste at 28–30% Brix is called double concentrate, and paste at 36–38% Brix is called triple concentrate. The difference is how much water has been removed. A 230 kg drum of triple concentrate carries about 28% more tomato solids than a drum of double concentrate, so less water is shipped and the buyer dilutes it at their own plant. Double concentrate is ready to fill, repack or cook with as it is.
This guide compares the two, shows the arithmetic, and explains which one fits which buyer.
What Brix means for tomato paste
Brix is the percentage of soluble solids in a product by weight, read with a refractometer. In tomato paste, these are the natural tomato soluble solids, mostly sugars and acids. A paste at 37% Brix contains about 37 kg of soluble solids in every 100 kg.
International standards use the same measure. Under the Codex standard for processed tomato concentrates, a product with 24% or more natural tomato soluble solids is tomato paste. The International Committee of the Red Cross catalogue notes that dry matter in tomato concentrates ranges from 7% for a tomato purée to a minimum of 36% for triple concentrate.
In trade, 28–30% Brix is sold as double concentrate and 36–38% Brix as triple concentrate.
Double and triple concentrate side by side
| Double concentrate | Triple concentrate | |
|---|---|---|
| Brix | 28–30% | 36–38% |
| TOMEX grades | Grade B (cold break), Hot Break (hot break) | Grade A (cold break) |
| Bostwick consistency | Grade B 5.0–7.0 cm/30s; Hot Break 3.0–4.5 cm/30s | 3.5–5.5 cm/30s |
| Howard mould count limit | Below 40% positive fields | Below 30% positive fields |
| Soluble solids in a 230 kg drum | About 67 kg | About 85 kg |
| Soluble solids in 80 drums (one 20 ft container) | About 5.3 tonnes | About 6.8 tonnes |
| Packs | Drums, tins, jars, sachets | Drums |
| Typical buyers | Retail cans and jars, repackers, food service | Ketchup, sauce and soup makers; repackers who dilute |
The solids figures use the middle of each range, 29% and 37% Brix.
How far a drum of triple concentrate goes
Because Brix is a percentage by weight, dilution is simple arithmetic: multiply the weight of paste by its Brix, then divide by the Brix you want.
Take one 230 kg drum at 37% Brix and bring it down to 28.5% Brix:
- 230 × 37 ÷ 28.5 = 298.6 kg of paste at 28.5% Brix
- 298.6 − 230 = 68.6 kg of water to add
Across a full 20 ft container of 80 drums, that is about 23.9 tonnes of paste at 28.5% Brix, against 18.4 tonnes if the same container were filled with double concentrate. Our Brix dilution calculator does this for any quantity and target Brix.
When triple concentrate makes sense
- You dilute anyway. Ketchup, sauce and soup recipes usually run well below 36% Brix, so the paste is reconstituted at your plant.
- You want more tomato per container. Each drum carries less water, so each container carries more tomato solids.
- You need the tighter mould limit. TOMEX Grade A is held below 30% positive fields on the Howard test, against below 40% for the 28–30% grades.
You need mixing equipment and a set dilution step, and your QA team checks the Brix after dilution.
When double concentrate makes sense
- You use or fill the paste as it is. Brand owners and repackers fill 28–30% paste into cans, jars and sachets with little or no dilution.
- You cook with it directly. Caterers, food service and processors whose recipes work at 28–30% Brix skip the dilution step.
- You need hot break body. TOMEX Hot Break, the thickest paste in the range, is a double concentrate at 28–30% Brix.
Checking the Brix on arrival
Each batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis stating its Brix. Your QA team can check it with a refractometer and compare the result with the certificate before the paste goes into production. If you dilute, check the Brix again after mixing.
The Brix also matters at customs. In the EU tariff, paste with more than 34% dry matter falls under a different code from paste with 20–34%, as our HS code guide explains.
Next step
Tell us the Brix your recipe needs and the pack you use, and the export team will recommend a grade. Request a quote, or ask for samples of Grade A and Grade B to test side by side.
Related pages: 36–38% Brix triple concentrate, 28–30% Brix double concentrate, Brix dilution calculator and our guide to hot break vs cold break.
Figures and sources checked on 10 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is 36–38% Brix the same as triple concentrate?
Yes. In trade, tomato paste at 36–38% Brix is sold as triple concentrate, and paste at 28–30% Brix as double concentrate. TOMEX Grade A is the triple concentrate in the range.
How much water do I add to bring 36–38% paste down to 28–30%?
Multiply the paste weight by its Brix and divide by the Brix you want. For 1 kg at 37% Brix brought to 28.5%, that gives about 1.30 kg, so you add about 0.30 kg of water.
Is triple concentrate thicker than double concentrate?
Not always. Consistency also depends on the break. TOMEX Grade A (36–38%, cold break) reads 3.5–5.5 cm/30s on the Bostwick test, while Hot Break (28–30%, hot break) reads 3.0–4.5 cm/30s, the thickest in the range.
Which grade is used for ketchup?
Grade A at 36–38% Brix is the usual base, reconstituted to the recipe Brix. Hot Break is chosen when the ketchup needs more body without added starch.
Is the shelf life the same for both?
Yes. All TOMEX grades have a shelf life of 24 months from production.
