As spring gardening approaches, a new contender has entered the fray—the genetically modified (GM) purple tomato. Unlike its GM predecessors, the GM purple tomato is not destined solely for the fields of commercial agriculture—it has made its debut in the backyards of home gardeners across the United States.

In this 2008 handout photo illustration, genetically modified purple tomatoes are seen beside red tomatoes. (John Innes Centre UK via Getty Images)

Using genetic engineering techniques, Ms. Martin and her colleagues inserted two genes responsible for purple coloration in edible snapdragon flowers into tomato plants. This process enabled the tomatoes to express the genes from the snapdragon and, subsequently, produce high levels of anthocyanins, thereby imbuing the tomatoes with a distinct purple hue and potentially enhanced health benefits.

The genesis of the GM purple tomato marks a significant milestone in agricultural biotechnology. Unlike previous GM crops primarily targeted at commercial producers, this tomato is the first GM food crop directly marketed to home gardeners in the United States, offering an opportunity for individuals to engage with biotechnology in their own backyard.

“With respect to Norfolk Plant Sciences’ purple tomato, we did not identify any plausible pathways to increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated tomatoes and issued a response letter indicating the plant is not subject to regulation,” it said in the statement.

To qualify for GRAS status, Norfolk Plant Sciences submitted data from tests conducted internally.

Norfolk Plant Sciences created the purple tomato by splicing genes from a purple snapdragon into a tomato. (Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock, Getty Images)

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(The Epoch Times)

“There’s no evidence that the developers of the GM purple tomato have carried out the kind of molecular analyses (proteomics and metabolomics) that could help establish whether they only got the change they want, with no unintended changes. As a result, we don’t know if these tomatoes are safe to eat,” Mr. Antoniou said.

“We must also bear in mind that the GM transformation process (plant tissue culture and plant cells transformation) will inevitably give rise to hundreds if not thousands of sites of unintended DNA damage (mutations). These wide scale mutations can change patterns of gene function and alter biochemistry and composition, with unknown downstream health consequences.”

According to the study, mice fed the GM tomato lived longer—by an average of 40 days—than those fed non-GM red tomatoes.

Publication of the pilot study prompted the John Innes Centre to publish a statement titled “Purple tomatoes may keep cancer at bay.” (Norfolk Plant Sciences is a spinoff company from the John Innes Centre.)

Coverage of the purple tomato has largely lauded its potential nutritional and cancer benefits. (Screenshots via The Epoch Times)

According to the NHS, “the small sample sizes used mean the results may have occurred by chance.”

“Also, until the tomato is tested in humans, we cannot be sure that it will offer the same benefits, or that there will not be any unexpected harms,” the NHS said.

Anthocyanins may follow the same pattern of “some is good, but too much can be bad.”

Antioxidants work, in part, by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals. These ROS are produced naturally during oxygen-based respiration in all living organisms.

It is essential to strike a balance—producing enough ROS to regulate vital functions in the body without generating excessive amounts that lead to damage or disease.

Consequently, Mr. Seidler has raised concern over the amount of anthocyanins Americans might consume if the GM purple tomato replaces its conventional counterpart.

Growers already have access to an array of heirloom purple tomato varieties, including the esteemed black zebra and black beauty.

Traditionally bred tomatoes, such as black sweet cherry, contain anthocyanins in the skin but not the flesh of the tomato.  (chang/Getty Images)

Unlike their domesticated counterparts, which typically harbor anthocyanins in their plant structures and sometimes skin, wild tomatoes employed in the breeding program exhibit these beneficial compounds within their fruits, as highlighted by Mr. Myers. Year after year, Mr. Myers and his team crossed genes, often by hand, from wild tomatoes with modern varieties until higher levels of anthocyanins could be found in the fruit.

Over two decades since the inception of this breeding program, the “Indigo” cultivars have proliferated to more than 50 variants worldwide, finding homes in both small-scale farms and corporate agricultural enterprises.

Historically, most crops have been genetically engineered not to increase nutrient density but to better withstand herbicides and pests. One of the few exceptions was golden rice, engineered in the 1990s to contain higher levels of beta-carotene to combat vitamin A deficiency. That crop never gained traction.

Pink pineapples are a recently introduced genetically modified fruit hitting store shelves. Golden rice, meanwhile, was a genetically modified grain that did not gain traction. (RANDALL CAMPOS/AFP via Getty Images and International Rice Research Institute/Wikipedia)

Pink pineapple was created in 2020 by Fresh Del Monte, a California-based company. The rosy flesh contains high levels of lycopene—an antioxidant that gives peaches, tomatoes, and watermelon their rosy hues. However, only Fresh Del Monte is allowed to grow the pink pineapple, whereas the purple tomato can be grown by farmers or consumers in the United States.

Unlike most of its GM predecessors, the purple tomato is marketed as a nutrient-dense food designed to improve health. Why are we witnessing a marketing shift away from food security toward individual health?

“Then [the GM purple tomato] chips away at this negative perception of GMOs and that will enable other products to get out to market that deliver really solid benefits.”

Could the purple tomato be a Trojan horse, boasting claims of improved health for the individual while trickling GM seeds into gardens to gain acceptance of GMOs among consumers? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, if gardeners want to avoid the GM purple tomato, it may prove challenging. Once GM seeds are planted by backyard gardeners, seed drift becomes a concern.

Norfolk Health Produce said: “You can cross-pollinate [the purple tomato] with other varieties. As tomatoes generally only self-pollinate, you will need to pollinate manually. Our purple trait will segregate. Depending upon what you cross to, you may not know which plants are carrying the trait until they bear fruit.”

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Joel Salatin, regenerative farmer and co-owner of Polyface Farm, expressed concern about seed drift and patent infringement.

“One of the biggest concerns for gardeners is adulteration due to pollen drift,” he said. “Seed companies often advise up to a mile of distance between varieties to maintain cultivar purity. If you are in an urban or suburban setting, and especially if you do not know all your neighbors or their activities, this kind of distance would be virtually impossible to guarantee. Suddenly you have a being in your garden that you don’t want. And the way courts have ruled, if the cultivar patent owner finds one of your tomatoes with adulterated DNA, you can be liable for patent infringement. What a mess.”

As scientists, policymakers, and consumers navigate the complex terrain of GMOs, transparency, evidence-based decision-making, and public engagement are essential to fostering informed dialogue as we shape the future of agriculture and our food supply.