Food

Tomato

トマト (Tomato)

Also known as: Solanum lycopersicum

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At a glance

Category	Food
Origin	Vegetable / fruit-vegetable (Solanum lycopersicum); primarily domestic Japanese greenhouse and open-field cultivation. Major producing prefectures: Kumamoto, Hokkaido, Aichi, Chiba, Ibaraki
Typical functions	Fresh consumption (large beefsteak, mini, mid-sized cultivars), Processing input for purée, juice, and sauce OEM, Functional ingredient claim (lycopene, GABA)
Regulatory status in Japan	Permitted as a food ingredient under the Food Sanitation Act. Some processed varieties (high-lycopene, GABA-functional) are notified under the Foods with Functional Claims (FFC) system.

Tomato is one of the highest-value vegetables in Japanese OEM, supporting both the fresh-pack retail category and a sizable processed-tomato industry (juice, sauce, ketchup, dried, powder). For OEM buyers, the Japanese tomato supply differs from global commodity tomato in three respects: dominant greenhouse cultivation enabling year-round supply, branded cultivar programmes (Amela, Sakura-no-tomato, Kumamoto fruit-tomato) supporting premium positioning, and a growing functional-food segment built around lycopene and GABA claims.

Classification

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Common OEM product categories

Finished-product categories where Japanese OEM manufacturers commonly formulate with this ingredient.

Fresh-pack tomato retail (mini / mid / large)
Tomato juice and pure-tomato OEM
Tomato sauce and ketchup OEM
Dried tomato and powdered tomato for functional food OEM

Ingredient profile

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a flowering plant in the Solanaceae family. Japanese commercial supply rotates by season and cultivar group: Kumamoto and Aichi greenhouse cultivars (year-round), Hokkaido open-field cultivars (summer), and high-Brix branded cultivars (Amela, Sakura, Frutica) positioned for premium retail. Mid-sized and mini cultivars dominate the fresh-pack retail category; large beefsteak cultivars dominate the processing input supply.

Tomato contains lycopene (the carotenoid responsible for the red colour), beta-carotene, GABA, and a range of B vitamins. Processing concentration significantly increases lycopene bioavailability — the basis for tomato-paste and tomato-juice positioning in the functional food category. Industrial OEM processing typically uses field-trimmed large cultivars for paste/juice production and intact whole fruit for fresh-pack retail.

OEM applications

In Japanese food OEM, tomato appears as fresh-pack mini / mid / large retail (the volume category); as juice and pure-tomato OEM (both domestic-supply and imported-paste reconstituted formats); as tomato sauce, ketchup, and pizza-sauce OEM; as dried-tomato and powdered-tomato ingredient input for functional food, soup, and seasoning OEM; and as the ingredient in tomato-based vegetable juice and smoothie OEM.

Cultivar branding is commercially material. Amela (Shizuoka), Sakura-no-tomato (Wakayama), Kumamoto fruit-tomato, and Frutica (multiple prefectures) are positioned as premium high-Brix cultivars commanding 2–4× the standard retail price. These branded cultivars are increasingly used in juice and gift-product OEM. Standard greenhouse and open-field cultivars supply the volume retail and processing categories.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Tomato as fresh vegetable, juice, and processed product is subject to the Food Sanitation Act including residual pesticide standards. Tomato paste and tomato juice are subject to JAS labelling standards for processed-tomato products.

Functional claims for high-lycopene or GABA-functional tomato products are submitted under the Foods with Functional Claims (機能性表示食品) system with supporting evidence; ordinary food labelling cannot make therapeutic claims about lycopene or GABA without notification.

Regulatory classification in other markets

Global	Fresh and processed tomato is allowed in most destination markets subject to plant-quarantine requirements for fresh shipments. Tomato paste and juice exports to US, EU, and ASEAN markets are subject to standard food-labelling rules including allergen declaration where the formulation includes co-ingredients.

Market reference formulations

Example finished products will be added after verification of cultivar (Amela / Sakura / Frutica / standard), prefecture of origin, and processing method (fresh / juice / paste / dried) per the editorial policy.

All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

Quick answers

What is Tomato?: Tomato is one of the highest-value vegetables in Japanese OEM, supporting both the fresh-pack retail category and a sizable processed-tomato industry (juice, sauce, ketchup, dried, powder). For OEM buyers, the Japanese tomato supply differs from global commodity tomato in three respects: dominant greenhouse cultivation enabling year-round supply, branded cultivar programmes (Amela, Sakura-no-tomato, Kumamoto fruit-tomato) supporting premium positioning, and a growing functional-food segment built around lycopene and GABA claims.
What is the regulatory status of Tomato in Japan?: Permitted as a food ingredient under the Food Sanitation Act. Some processed varieties (high-lycopene, GABA-functional) are notified under the Foods with Functional Claims (FFC) system.
What products typically use Tomato?: Fresh-pack tomato retail (mini / mid / large) / Tomato juice and pure-tomato OEM / Tomato sauce and ketchup OEM / Dried tomato and powdered tomato for functional food OEM
Where does Tomato come from?: Vegetable / fruit-vegetable (Solanum lycopersicum); primarily domestic Japanese greenhouse and open-field cultivation. Major producing prefectures: Kumamoto, Hokkaido, Aichi, Chiba, Ibaraki

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References

Last updated: 2026-05-30. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.