Scientists have discovered the gene which controls ripening in tomatoes, leading to optimism that tomatoes sold in major multiples could soon be as tasty and colourful as those straight from the garden.
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A research team at the US Department of Agriculture said the newly identified gene, called LeMads-Rin, “could be the holy grail for tomatoes”. The gene allows tomatoes to be harvested when red and tasty – without shortening their shelf life. The same gene could be introduced to improve other fruits, including strawberries, bananas, melons and apples.
Most tomatoes destined for sale in supermarkets are picked while still green and hard, so that they can reach stores before they are overripe. Once stored, ripening is accelerated using ethylene, which goes some way towards explaining why many tomatoes sold in supermarkets lack the rich flavour of those plucked from the vine when ripe.
The journal Science adds that, the longer tomatoes are allowed to mature on the vine, the greater the lycopene content will be. Lycope is an antioxidant that is through to fight the onset of cancer and heart disease.
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By GlobalData
