Scientists develop purple tomatoes to create 2,000l of modified fruit juice - PHOTO

The tomatoes, which are genetically modified, have been developed by UK scientists but grown in Canada, where restrictions on GM products are looser. The crop has been produced in an Ontario glasshouse and is set to yield 2,000 litres of tomato juice, for use in research which could pave the way for it to be sold in shops.The first 1,200 litres will soon be shipped to Norwich, where scientists from the John Innes Centre will work on getting authorisation for commercial sale. The purple tomatoes have anti-inflammatory effects and were shown to slow down cancer in mice. They also have double the shelf life.The colour of the tomatoes is derived from high levels of anthocyanins, compounds normally found in blueberries, blackberries and other deeply coloured berries. Professor Cathie Martin, from the John Innes Centre, said: ‘We want to explore a way for consumers to benefit from our discoveries, as we are finding there is a demand for the added health benefits.’Research so far has been funded by the EU and through the John Innes Centre’s strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.Professor Martin has worked with Professor Jonathan Jones, from The Sainsbury Laboratory, to form the UK’s first GM crop spin-out company, Norfolk Plant Sciences, to explore the commercial potential of plants with increased levels of health-giving compounds. The tomatoes and juice are set to be used to study the effects of a high anthocyanin diet on cancer, cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Other varieties, high in compounds such as resveratrol normally found in red wine, are already being used to develop skin care products in collaboration with Essex company Biodeb.Bringing the juice to the food market will require regulatory approval and may be possible in as little as two years in North America.The John Innes Centre said tomatoes have been chosen for the trial because they are the world’s most popular fruit.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az