After more than a decade of development, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined that a nutritionally enhanced purple tomato could be safely grown. The tomatoes have been genetically modified to produce 10 times more antioxidants than pre-existing varieties.
In 2008, a fascinating study was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The research focused on a type of tomato that had been genetically modified to produce high volumes of antioxidants called anthocyanins.
The anthocyanins they are found naturally in many foods, such as blueberries and red cabbage. They are responsible for the purple pigment in these foods and have been linked to a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Some types of naturally purple-skinned tomatoes contain low levels of anthocyanins, but some food scientists have wondered if these levels could be increased with some genetic tweaking. Two genes were taken from another plant (the dragon) and added to a type of purple tomato. The genes amplified the plant’s ability to produce anthocyanins, resulting in a unique tomato with deep purple flesh.
The 2008 study reported the health effects of this anthocyanin-enriched tomato in mice engineered to develop cancer. Mice fed a diet supplemented with purple tomatoes lived 30% longer than those fed a normal diet.
It is one of the first examples of metabolic engineering that offers the possibility of promoting health through diet, reducing the impact of chronic diseases. And certainly the first example of GMO [organismo genéticamente modificado] with a trait that actually offers a potential benefit to all consumers.
Cathie Martin, plant biologist.
After navigating regulatory processes for a long time, GM Purple Tomato Now One Step Closer to Market Following USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Approval. This authorization means that the genetically modified plant is no longer regulated by strict controls that limit where and how it can be grown. It can be grown safely anywhere in the United States, like any other licensed crop.
When Cathie and I founded NPS [Norwich Plant Sciences] nearly 15 years ago to bring genetically improved purple tomatoes, invented in the UK, to market, we never thought it would take so long to get regulatory clearance. It’s a day marked for crop improvement, with a beneficial product approved by the USDA after careful review of a detailed information package outlining its properties.
Jonathan Jones, who has worked with Martin for over a decade in plant marketing.
Various uses of improved tomato have been explored in recent years. Initially, scientists focused on producing an anthocyanin-rich tomato juice that could be tested in a clinical setting for patients with cancer or cardiovascular disease.
However, this type of product still has to face many tests and regulatory obstacles before reaching the market. The first step for Martin and Jones will therefore be to sell the seeds of these purple tomatoes to local producers.
The US approval is the first place in the world where the cultivation of this genetically modified product is allowed. Martin and Jones hope the tomatoes will soon be approved in the UK.
We are now one step closer to my dream of sharing healthy purple tomatoes with the vast number of people who can’t wait to eat them. The bittersweet thing is that the tomatoes will only be on sale in the United States. But the positive side is that by focusing on local producers, we will be consumer-oriented and we will be able to obtain the information and the interest necessary to develop other products.
Catherine Martin
Going through www.jic.ac.uk