Reader’s Digest: May 2026

In May 2026, we published the following articles:

• Morning Star Tomato Bites: special legislative edition.
• WPTC crop update as of 1 May 2026.
• Chinese exports of tomato pastes to Europe are still decreasing, even though a few countries remain exceptions, particularly among non-processing countries.
• Driven by major processors like Barilla, Mutti, Conesa, Sugal, Conagra, Morning Star, and Ingomar, the global tomato processing market is transforming wastewater into a strategic asset through advanced recycling, energy recovery, and innovative agricultural partnerships.
• The Campbell’s Company announced it has completed the acquisition of a 49% interest in La Regina.
• Tomato Paste Prices, May 2026: Spain, Portugal, Italy, China, Chile and USA.
• From June 7–10, 2026, the global tomato processing industry will convene in beautiful Monterey, California, for a congress designed to tackle the industry’s most pressing challenges and celebrate its brightest opportunities.
• Euromonitor data reveals that the global processed tomato volumes are trending upward toward a projected 39.28 million tonnes by 2030, driven by a post-2024 recovery and high concentration in five major countries.
• On May 6, the CTGA agreed to a fair base price of $104.50 per ton for the 2026 season with eight major processors, including ConAgra, Campbell’s, and Morning Star, to provide growers with financial certainty.
• The Northern Italy Industrial Tomato Interprofessional Organisation announced that all 2025 season payments were successfully completed on time, clearing the way for operators to finalize and file their 2026 processing contracts in compliance with the regional Framework Agreement.
• A coalition of 138 food and beverage CEOs, including leading tomato processors, has urged EU policymakers to address critical implementation flaws in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) to protect aseptic packaging and industrial competitiveness.
• Portugal’s largest tomato paste exporter, Sugal, has committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to establish company-wide greenhouse gas reduction targets that align with the 1.5°C global warming limit.
• Led by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman, a high-level meeting at the Farnesina launched the “Rome Coalition“, a 40-nation initiative to safeguard global food security and fertilizer supplies amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Global Exports of Tomato Paste, updated May 14, 2026.
• Researchers from the University of Seville and the Polytechnic University of Madrid have demonstrated that growing tomatoes beneath solar panels using agrovoltaic systems and regulated deficit irrigation optimizes water resources, providing a more efficient and sustainable cultivation process despite a lower harvest volume.
• According to Euromonitor forecasts through 2030, the global processed tomato market is shifting toward the Asia-Pacific region as urban lifestyles drive a trend toward ready-to-use convenience foods over traditional homemade solutions.
• Running concurrently in Monterey from June 8–10, 2026, the 18th ISHS International Symposium on Processing Tomato brings together the world’s leading researchers to focus on the groundwork and science that moves tomatoes from the field to the consumer.
• Interview with Emmanuelle Molinie, Sales Director of Groupe GPS.
• To celebrate Earth Day, Sicilian company Agromonte introduced “The Earth Label,” a limited edition of its ready-to-use cherry tomato sauce that features packaging printed with a natural pigment made entirely from recycled tomato skins, seeds, and processing waste.
• Marking the end of unregulated pumping, California tomato growers in the water-stressed Tule and Tulare Lake subbasins faced a hard deadline of May 1, 2026, to officially report their historical groundwater usage through the state’s online GEARS platform.
• Aran Group’s MonoFlex bag-in-box solution won the Gold Award in the “Packaging that Saves Food” category at the 2026 WorldStar Packaging Awards, presented by the World Packaging Organisation during Interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf.
• Prices of Canned Tomatoes, May 2026: Italy, Spain, USA, Greece, Portugal.
• The Morocco-based Agro Juice Processing officially inaugurated a 175 million dirham expansion of its Boufekrane complex, a move that culminates a six-year investment program to transition the company from a specialized beverage provider into a diversified food powerhouse.
• European and American negotiators reached a pivotal political agreement late on May 19, effectively averting a looming trade war that threatened to disrupt global markets and ignite a fresh cycle of retaliatory tariffs.
• Driven by a shift toward a circular economy, recent scientific breakthroughs are reframing tomato pomace from a high-volume, low-value by-product into a sophisticated raw material, allowing processors to utilize its bioactive potential to diversify product lines and reduce environmental impact.
• At its recent annual general meeting, the Italian tomato processing industry association, Anicav, has chosen Aldo Rodolfi  as the new president, succeeding Marco Serafini, who concluded a five-year term at the helm.
• Following the federal government’s ban on imported paste, local processor Tomato Jos has secured a $2 million impact-linked debt facility from investment firm Sabou Capital to scale its operations and help fill Nigeria’s former $400 million import market void.
• A statistical analysis of 2025 Euromonitor retail data reveals that global home tomato consumption is driven by deeply rooted cultural habits rather than passing trends, categorizing world consumers into four distinct cooking profiles.
• Conserve Italia officially launched its 50th anniversary celebrations by unveiling its modernized “Pomposa Smart Factory,” marking its half-century milestone since its founding on May 24, 1976, and successfully concluding its major 2023–2026 investment plan.
• Global Imports of Tomato Products, updated May 28, 2026.

You can find the individual articles in the NEWS list and/or search by keyword, date etc.