‘Enhanced’ purple tomato may be headed to US stores — but color isn’t just for looks

Tomatoes are grown in a rainbow of colors, but a team of scientists says their new purple variety isn’t just for looks.

The purple tomatoes, genetically engineered by Norfolk Plant Sciences, are said to have “enhanced” nutritional value and could soon be available in stores across the U.S., news outlets report. The USDA recently signed off on a review that would allow people to grow, sell and purchase the violaceous variety.

“The tomato was modified to alter its color and enhance its nutritional quality,” the department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a news release. “We found the plant is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated tomatoes and is not subject to regulation.”

On its website, Norfolk Plant Sciences said its purple tomatoes boast the “highest levels of anthocyanins,” an antioxidant-rich compound found in blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. The antioxidants, common in such superfoods, are associated with a range of health benefits such as anti-inflammation, lowered blood pressure and heart disease prevention, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The purple tomato variety is also said to have a longer shelf life when compared with its red counterparts. As for the taste, it has the flavor of a regular garden tomato.

“We are now one step closer to my dream of sharing healthy purple tomatoes with the many people excited to eat them,” University of East Anglia Professor and founder of Norfolk Plant Sciences Cathie Martin, who developed the antioxidant-rich tomatoes, said in a statement.

The UK-based company isn’t the first to craft a genetically modified food with nutrition and sustainability in mind. Del Monte’s Pinkglow pineapple, engineered to inhibit existing ezymes that cause the pigment lycopene to turn yellow, is pink in color and sold without the classic crown for replanting purposes, McClatchy News reported.

That blush-hued fruit was in development since 2015 before its nationwide launch in October 2020.

Nathan Pumplin, who leads Norfolk Plant Sciences’ U.S.-based commercial business, said there are a few more steps to be taken before people can get their hands on the purple tomatoes. The company has submitted its information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is awaiting its approval.

Distribution and logistical details are also in the works, as is pricing, Pumplin told McClatchy News.

Nevertheless, the USDA approval puts the company a step closer to selling its purple tomatoes commercially, he said. They hope to begin a limited launch of the tomatoes by 2023.

“I have heard from some wary consumers who are beginning to rethink the role that bioengineering may play in produce, and we welcome a transparent and objective discussion about the future of our food system,” Pumplin said. “Diversity is key, and we support different options being available to consumers.”