SCIENTISTS IN INDIA CREATE SUPER TOMATO

Are rotten tomatoes going to be a thing of the past?

Scientists in India said they have created genetically modified tomatoes that will stay fresh a full month longer than regular tomatoes, Sky News reported.

Researchers said they modified the tomatoes by manipulating two enzymes involved in ripening the ubiquitous fruit, which allows them to extend shelf life by 30 days.

“Our strategy allows the achievement of desired texture and firmness and enhancement of shelf life without any ill effects,” Dr. Asis Datta of the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in New Delhi told Sky News.

“This strategy can be extended to other fruit crops,” Dr. Datta said.

Researchers said the techniques could be used to extend the shelf life of bananas and mangoes, two other fruits that can ripen and go bad quickly.

Some, however, are skeptical of the safety of genetically modified foods.

“The majority of the public are very skeptical about the benefits of GM foods and I don’t think that this will do anything to persuade them,” Pete Riley, from the U.K. campaign group GM Freeze, told the Daily Mail. “We have survived for millennia without needing to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.”

Riley said that while the tomatoes may appear to be fresher longer, their vitamin content could decline, leaving them less nutritious than normal tomatoes.

India, the world’s second-largest tomato grower, loses 35 to 40 percent of its crop to rotting before the product hits store shelves, Sky News reported.

[via Sky News]