The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said Wednesday that it had approved the sale of a genetically engineered tomato altered to change its color and enhance its nutritional quality. The purple tomato was developed by Norfolk Plant Sciences to have high levels of anthocyanins, which are linked with health benefits.
“We found the plant is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated tomatoes,” APHIS said in a brief statement. “That means, from a plant pest risk perspective, this plant may be safely grown and used in breeding in the United States.”
The tomato was created in the U.K., New Scientist reported in February, by adding genes from the common garden snapdragon. The genes are active only in the fruits, where they boost the activity of the plants’ existing machinery for making anthocyanins, the purple pigments found in eggplants and blueberries.
Norfolk Plant Sciences’ application stated that it planned to sell the tomato to seed companies and also use it for fresh and processed tomatoes and tomato juice, but a New York Times article about the tomato discussed the challenges facing the tiny company. The USDA previously approved a genetically modified tomato, the Flavr Savr, which went on sale in 1994. However, sales were unsuccessful.