Why I am keen to get my hands on genetically modified purple tomatoes

The first home-grown genetically modified food may be on the horizon, in the form of purple tomatoes, finds Clare Wilson

By Clare Wilson

THE end of the tomato season is approaching in the UK, and I am weighing up the performance of the different varieties I grew and deciding which seeds to buy again. Next spring, US gardeners may have a new option to consider: the first genetically modified seeds for home growers could go on sale there, in the form of bright purple tomatoes.

GM food can be controversial, but the scientific consensus is now that plants with modified genes are no more liable to be unhealthy for us than unmodified ones. Foods containing GM ingredients, such as soybeans and maize, …