Pleasantly purple

In February, California-based Norfolk Healthy Produce launched the online seed sales of its first product, the Purple Tomato. This tomato is exclusive to consumers in the U.S. Why? It’s a GMO product. (Insert dramatic music here.)

The new variety, an indeterminate cherry tomato, contains purple antioxidants called anthocyanins, the healthy nutrients in blueberries, blackberries and eggplants. Anthocyanins are antioxidants associated with certain health benefits and are important to an anti-inflammatory diet. According to a story on NPR, “Norfolk’s purple tomato has, per weight, as much anthocyanin as a blueberry or eggplant.”

Cathie Martin used a bioengineering approach that combined tomatoes with two genes from the snapdragon, creating the Purple Tomato. Norfolk says it’s the only variety to offer purple antioxidants in the flesh and the skin.

Martin has been waiting a long time for this product to come to market. She published her first peer-reviewed scientific report about her discovery in 2008.

“It has been my wish that gardeners could grow and enjoy purple tomatoes, and share in the health and beauty,” Martin said in a released statement. “It is so exciting that gardeners in the USA can grow these in the 2024 season.”

​Is it risky to introduce a GMO product to U.S. consumers? According to Norfolk, they surveyed American consumers and found 80% were interested to eat, purchase and grow the Purple Tomato, knowing that it is bioengineered (often referred to as a genetically modified organism, or GMO).

Norfolk Healthy Produce CEO Nathan Pumplin downplayed the GMO aspect and said, “Our tomato is just a tomato.”

“We share our gratitude to the thousands of fans, who have shared their interest and encouragement through our website. Please give a big thanks to the breeding and seed production team, as well as the regulatory team, whose care and diligence made this high-quality product possible,” he said. “We live at a time with many organic and non-GMO options in produce. Consumers looking for something better and different, enabled with biotechnology, have very few options to choose from. Norfolk Healthy Produce is proud to offer an additional choice to interested consumers and suppliers.”

Packets of 10 seeds cost $20 on Norfolk’s website.

Norfolk Healthy Produce says it also plans to launch fresh tomatoes in grocery stores later this year.

Learn more at norfolkhealthyproduce.com.