Tomatoes are about to get a whole lot more colourful with a purple variety soon to hit Australian supermarket shelves.
The novelty fruit, approved by regulators on Wednesday, gets its colour from added anthocyanin pigments – the same compounds found in blueberries and blackberries.
Starting in a laboratory in Norfolk in the UK, it’s been years in the making for this nutritionally enhanced, genetically engineered fruit.
Daniel Tan, professor of agronomy at the University of Sydney, visited the laboratory at the John Innes Centre in 2010 and said the anthocyanins were inserted into the tomato from snapdragon genes.
“High levels of anthocyanins are associated with potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects,” he said.
The purple tomato was an example of “next-generation” genetically modified foods, created “not just for protective genes, but for potential consumer health benefits”, Prof Tan said.
Joseph Pegler, senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle and honorary treasurer of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists, said anthocyanins were shown to provide protective effects against a range of chronic diseases.
“The purple tomato is enriched in anthocyanins, thereby possessing the colour and beneficial compounds of popular fruits such as plums and blackberries,” Dr Pegler said.
“If you needed one, here is your excuse to whip up a bruschetta or Bloody Mary.”
Norfolk Healthy Produce Partners has partnered with All Aussie Farmers to manage distributing the fruit across the nation.
The Australian Gene Technology Regulator issued a licence for its release on Wednesday, after Food Standards Australia New Zealand declared the product safe to eat in mid-2025.
The tomato is expected to be available in some Australian markets later in the year.
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