SICA Blu Chopped Tomatoes: the Everyday Red Base for Professional Kitchens
SICA Blu chopped tomatoes are 100% Italian tomato cubes preserved in tomato juice, packed in 2500 g cans (drained weight 1500 g) sold in cartons of 6. With only three ingredients — tomato cubes, tomato juice and acidity regulator E330 — and no preservatives, they deliver a firm, naturally sweet red base for pasta sauces, pizza al taglio, ragù and braised dishes, ready in minutes with just 19 kcal per 100 g.
What Are Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice
Chopped tomatoes (cubetti di pomodoro) are peeled Italian tomatoes cut into regular cubes and immersed in their own juice. Compared with passata, the cube keeps a visible, fleshy texture in the finished dish; compared with whole peeled tomatoes, it saves the crushing step during a busy service. The acidity regulator (citric acid E330) simply stabilises the natural pH of the tomato — no added salt beyond 0.10 g per 100 g, no sugar, no flavourings.
100% Italian Tomatoes, Grown and Packed in Italy
The label carries the claim 'exclusively produced with tomatoes of Italian origin' and the seal '100% grown and packed in Italy'. The tomatoes are processed at peak ripeness in Campania, in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese between Naples and Salerno, one of the historic districts of the Italian tomato preserving industry.
The Producer: SICA S.r.l., Pagani (Salerno)
SICA S.r.l. — Industria Conserve Alimentari — is a family-run company founded in 1996 by Silvestro Oliva and his family, with its plant in Via Termine Bianco, Pagani (Salerno) and headquarters in San Marzano sul Sarno. Today SICA processes up to 100,000 tonnes of fresh tomatoes per year, around 90,000 tonnes of finished product, in formats designed for the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, with ISO 9001, BRC, HACCP, Kosher and Halal certified production. 'Tomato, family passion' is the claim printed on every can.
Technical Specifications
Net weight 2500 g per can, drained weight 1500 g, carton of 6 cans (15 kg net). Nutritional values per 100 g: energy 81 kJ / 19 kcal, fat 0.1 g (saturated 0.0 g), carbohydrates 3.0 g (sugars 3.0 g), fibre 0.9 g, protein 1.1 g, salt 0.10 g. None of the 14 allergens listed by Reg. EU 1169/2011. EAN 8021360001249. Store in a dry place at about 20 °C; once opened, transfer the contents to another container, keep below 4 °C and use within 3 days.
Professional Uses in the Kitchen
In a professional kitchen the 2500 g can is the right size for a full service: one can dresses about 25-30 portions of pasta. Use the cubes for express sauces in 10-15 minutes over high heat, for ragù and parmigiana, as a chunky base for pizza in pala and 60x40 trays, in shakshuka and brunch dishes, or in fish soups where the cube must stay visible. For the classic AVPN-style margherita the disciplinare calls for tomato, fior di latte, basil and extra virgin olive oil — the cubetti version gives the topping extra texture on contemporary and tray-baked pizzas.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not cook chopped tomatoes for hours like a passata: long cooking destroys the cube and turns the sauce into a purée — 10-20 minutes is enough. Do not store the opened can in the fridge: transfer the product to a steel or food-grade plastic container, keep it below 4 °C and use it within 3 days. And do not add salt before reducing: with only 0.10 g of salt per 100 g, season at the end to keep control of the final dish.
LAPA Delivery and Logistics
B2B and B2C delivery in Switzerland from the LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zurich). Direct distribution with the LAPA fleet across Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Aargau, Bern and Basel. For Ticino (Lugano, Mendrisio, Chiasso), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg), Valais (Sion, Martigny) and Graubünden (Chur, Davos) shipping within 24-48 hours with partner couriers (Swiss Post, Planzer, Galliker). As an ambient product it requires no cold chain and is ideal for full-pallet stock at restaurants and pizzerias.
Who This Product Is For
SICA Blu chopped tomatoes are designed for pizzerias (al taglio, in pala, contemporary), Italian restaurants and trattorias, hotels and banqueting, company and school canteens, catering and cloud kitchens that need a consistent, 100% Italian red base in a food-service format, as well as Italian grocery stores and private customers who cook large batches at home.
