Chinese scientists find new method to sweeten tomatoes

BEIJING -- Many people share a nostalgia for the rich, classic flavor of tomatoes from their childhood. However, a Chinese team has found a way to genetically release the tomato's sugar brake without sacrificing yield. The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences conducted taste tests on over 100 varieties of tomatoes and identified 33 flavor compounds that affect consumer preferences. As a result, suppliers can sell sweeter tomatoes without having to worry about a decrease in fruit weight or yield, according to the study published in the journal Nature this week. The result raises the possibility of "using the great genetic diversity existing in wild species, which has been partially lost in domesticated varieties, to improve modern varieties," commented Christophe Rothan, a fruit biologist at the French National Institute of Agricultural Research, in a viewpoint article.