These approved purple tomatoes have 10 times higher antioxidant levels than pre-existing varieties.
In 2008, a study was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology about a tomato strain that has been gene-edited to produce high amounts of antioxidants called anthocyanins.
Found naturally in many foods, such as blueberries and red cabbage, anthocyanins are responsible for the purple pigment in these foods and have been linked to some health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Food scientists wondered if the anthocyanin levels in some purple tomatoes, which contain low levels of anthocyanins, could be increased by a few genetic changes. The gene from the snapdragon plant was inserted into a purple tomato variety. This gene transfer increased the anthocyanin reproduction ability of the plant, resulting in a unique tomato with rich purple flesh.
In 2008, it was reported that these anthocyanin-fortified tomatoes were tested on mice used in the development of cancer treatment. In tests, mice fed anthocyanin-fortified tomatoes lived 30% longer than mice fed a normal diet.
After lurking around in regulatory processes for a long time, the genetically modified purple tomato is one step closer to market with the approval of the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This confirmation; It means that the strict controls on where and how to grow a genetically modified plant have been removed. This means that it can be safely grown anywhere in the United States, like any other permitted crop.
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Jonathan Jones, who works on the commercialization of purple tomatoes fortified as anthocyanin content, said: “When Cathie and I founded NPS [Norwich Plant Sciences] nearly 15 years ago, we knew that the approval process required to bring health-promoting genetically modified purple tomatoes to market was this long. We never thought about it,” he said.
In the last few years, a number of uses have been explored for this enhanced purple tomato. The scientists also initially focused on producing an anthocyanin-rich tomato juice that could be tested in clinical contexts for patients with cancer or cardiovascular disease.
The US approval marks the first place in the world to allow the cultivation of genetically modified crops. Martin and Jones hope that tomatoes will soon be approved in the UK as well.
“We are one step closer to my dream of sharing healthy purple tomatoes with so many people who are excited to eat them,” Martin said. The bitter but sweet thing is that tomatoes are available for sale in the US, not the UK. But by focusing on home growers, we will be consumer focused and able to get the feedback and attention needed to improve other products.” said.