Reader’s Digest: January 2026

In January 2026, we published the following articles:

• The stories that defined the tomato processing industry in 2025: the TOP 50 processing companies, crop reports, trade policy and tariffs, insights from the Tomato News conference @ Anuga and Voices of the Industry.
• In Italy, the government signed a decree to extend the mandatory origin labeling until the end of 2026.
• Brazil: Tomato products trade from January 2024 to November 2025.
• Tomato Paste Prices, January 2026: Spain, Portugal, Italy, China, Chile and USA.
• Italy’s shift to support the EU-Mercosur deal cleared the path for its formal signing, even as France introduced a strict pesticide decree to block imports that fail to meet European chemical standards.
• A new study from Italian researchers demonstrated that RGB-based imaging can help identify stress- resistant tomato varieties and distinguish drought from disease.
• The Proceedings of the XVII International Symposium on Processing Tomato, held in Budapest in June 2024, have now been published.
• Lark Seeds International released preliminary data confirming that their Advantage + processing tomato hybrids show strong broomrape resistance.
• Global Exports of Tomato Paste, updated December 10, 2025.
• The Armenian based Sun Food LLC announced a significant investment program to scale its food processing operations.
• The Italian Solana SpA finalized the acquisition of Desco SpA, as part of their external growth strategy.
• Chinese researchers have identified a master resistance gene in the hardy Lindera megaphylla tree and successfully transferred it to tomatoes, enabling the plants to synthesize their own internal biological shields against disease.
• One year after the launch of the Art3mis Longrun MVRTM evaporator, three operational installations have already been completed.
• WPTC crop update as of 16 January 2026.
• Del Monte Foods has been split and sold to three separate companies: Fresh Del Monte Produce for the vegetable, tomato and refrigerated fruit lines, B&G Foods for the broth and stock segment and Pacific Coast Producers for the shelf-stable fruit business.
• Obituary: Giorgio Bossi, who represented Italian tomato processors in several trade associations for many years.
• Prices of Canned Tomatoes, January 2026: Italy, Spain, USA, Greece, Portugal.
• Iran: Tomato products trade from January 2024 to November 2025.
• A new study shows that lycopene may help prevent severe gum disease among older adults.
• US Inventories as of December 1, 2025 (report).
• While Spain, Portugal and the South of Italy have an excess of water, the North of Italy and California are still dependent on late season snowfall.
• California tomato processors expect to contract 9.8 million short tons. A 15% reduction compared to 2025.
• Spanish scientists developed a new compound that allows tomatoes to survive severe drought conditions.
• The Aseptic Bag Manufacturers Association (ABMA) is organizing a workshop for stakeholders involved in industrial aseptic bags in February to address the risk of prohibition of multi-material aseptic bags from 2030 onwards.
• Global Imports of Tomato Products, updated January 28, 2026.
• Update on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement since its formal signing.
• The EU-India Free Trade Agreement establishes a decade-long roadmap to eliminate India’s 30% tomato tariffs while ensuring all imports meet strict European food safety standards.
• Violet Foods LLC has announced the acquisition of the Muir Glen organic tomato brand from General Mills, Inc.

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