Dive Brief:
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Supermarket tomatoes have had the taste bred out of them over the past 50 years as the fruits were bred for sturdiness and size, but scientists are working to bring those taste genes back, according to an Associated Press article.
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University of Florida horticultural scientist Harry Klee said he and his colleagues “know what's wrong with modern tomatoes” and they hope to fix it. In a recent paper published in the journal Science, Klee said that along the way, scientific neglect let some important sugar genes be lost.
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Using genomic research that compared grocery store tomatoes with more flavorful heirloom varieties, the team found some genes that might improve tomato smell, but not interfere with their size. Klee said he hopes to use natural methods to reintroduce those genes into the larger tomato population.
Dive Insight:
Commercial farming and the scientists who support it often leave a lot to be desired where some fruits and veggies are concerned. About 50 years ago, those partners in taste crime began enabling the latter to employ then-new ripen-in-transit shipping systems to grow and sell tomatoes just about year round. But as a 1970s commercial said, “It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.”
Truth be told, consumers were not fooled as it increasingly became possible to purchase fresh tomatoes, apples and other items well outside the seasons Mother Nature intended: The delayed-aging tomatoes, cold-stored apples and picked-too-early peaches all left bitter tastes in consumers' mouths. Some of the folks who created those year-round fruits heard the message: What they created was not what they intended.
Strawberries, blueberries, melons and many other produce items used to be available during weeks- or months-long seasons, largely from one's own country. No longer. But scientists are working to improve the durability, texture and flavor of what's domestically available year-round.
What's really needed are efforts to encourage consumers to accept the reality of growing cycles. Want really good apples? Buy them in autumn. Want seasonal produce in February? Buy root veggies and hot-house lettuce.
Farming, for all crops, used to be a pretty cyclical business. To keep produce flavorful, it makes sense to return to those cycles. And farmers, like retailers, need to adapt.