THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 15, 1994 TAG: 9412140020
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Morsels
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
I LOVE it when the ingredients list is simple.
Take Pomi tomatoes, for example. Ingredients: tomatoes.
No guar gum. No xanthan gum. No carob bean gum. No preservatives.
Aseptic packaging makes possible these shelf-stable vegetables - as well as other vegetables and fruits.
It's the same process used for those handy juice boxes, say the folks at the Washington-based aseptic Packaging Council.
``Aseptic packaging allows us to heat products at very high temperatures for very short periods of time,'' says Susan Levine of Combibloc Inc., one of two aseptic packaging companies in the United States.
``Using this technology, we can maintain color, crunchiness and nutrition without using preservatives. It's sort of like boiling versus stir-frying.''
Milk also is available in aseptic boxes; it's convenient for camping trips and other places where refrigeration isn't feasible.
Like other new technology, aseptically packaged products cost a little more than their mainstream counterparts. But as the industry expands, prices should drop, Levine says.
There's one more drawback: We'll have to change our cookbooks to read: ``1 (16-ounce) box of tomatoes.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Chopped tomatoes now come in a box.
by CNB