US gardeners who are bored of growing ordinary tomatoes can now opt for a purple variety. The tomatoes have been genetically modified by scientists in the UK and are now available to buy in seed form in the US to grow at home.
Scientists from Norfolk Plant Sciences have bioengineered a new tomato variety that contains purple antioxidants called anthocyanins. These are nutrients that can be found in other purple fruit and vegetables like blueberries, blackberries and eggplants. Norfolk Healthy Produce, a subsidiary of Norfolk Plant Sciences, is selling Purple Tomato seeds - the only variety to have purple antioxidants in the flesh and skin.
