Scientists went to great lengths to dunk on supermarket tomatoes

(Image credit: Vera_Petrunina/ iStock)

last updated 14 May 2019

Have you ever wondered why store-bought tomatoes just don't taste as good as the homegrown varieties? So have scientists — so they launched an extensive study that suggests the answer to the mediocrity lies in the fruits' DNA.

Modern tomatoes that are sold in most supermarkets have "narrow genetic diversity" compared to heirloom varieties, according to research published in Nature Genetics on Monday. In order to determine the true potential for tomatoes, scientists mapped out the genes of 725 varieties of tomato and assembled them into what's called a pan-genome — "a genome that captures the genetic information of all the varieties," explained Discover Magazine. From that pan-genome, the researchers determined that the average supermarket tomato — dubbed the Heinz 1706 — is missing almost 5,000 genes that other varieties of tomato have.

Among the 4,873 genes the Heinz 1706 is missing is a gene called TomLoxC, which is responsible for much of the flavor in a tomato, as well as some other produce. With the knowledge of what our domesticated tomato varieties are missing, scientists and farmers alike are hoping that they can bring that flavor back to supermarket shelves around the country, as well as keeping tomato crops healthier without harming the environment.