A process for providing a tomato-based product comprising: adding an extract of pectin methylesterase to a hot break tomato paste; incubating the hot break tomato paste with the pectin methylesterase; inactivating the pectin methylesterase; wherein step b) is carried out under conditions such that the tomato paste increases in consistency but does not substantially gel. Preferably, the extract of pectin methylesterase is extracted from green tomatoes stabilised by freezing and/or drying.
