FILE - In this handout photo illustration provided by the John Innes Centre UK, purple tomatoes are seen on Oct. 27, 2008, in Norwich, United Kingdom. (John Innes Centre UK via Getty Images)The United States Department of Agriculture recently gave its stamp of approval to grow genetically modified purple tomatoes which were created in the United Kingdom.
The purple tomato created by Norfolk Plant Sciences, a spinout company from the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, has been modified not just to look different but also has enhanced nutritional quality, according to the USDA. "This is fantastic, I never thought I would see this day.
We are now one step closer to my dream of sharing healthy purple tomatoes with the many people excited to eat them," Professors Cathie Martin, who developed the anthocyanin-rich purple tomato in 2008, said in a company news release.
Anthocyanin is a type of antioxidant which can benefit those who are seeking an anti-inflammatory diet, Norfolk Plant Sciences’ website states. "Anthocyanins possess antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases," according to a National Institute of Health study.