The first marketing notice for a precision bred tomato in England has now been approved, moving the biofortified 'Sunshine' tomato developed at the John Innes Centre closer to commercialisation.
This tomato, which was recently the focus of a landmark study at the Quadram Institute to test bioavailability, accumulates high levels of pro-vitamin D3 in the fruit and leaves and was developed in Professor Cathie Martin FRS' lab.
Professor Martin said: "I am passionate about science supporting public health, and with vitamin D deficiency a widespread problem, our biofortified tomato could one day be a low-cost, simple, plant-based solution that can improve diets across the world.
"This is an important step in getting the tomato approved to go to market in England, and I want to thank all my colleagues in the institute and further afield who have collaborated on this important project."
This tomato is also the first crop to receive PBO marketing approval at the John Innes Centre, marking an historic moment for the research institute.
Tomatoes naturally make a precursor of vitamin D, called pro-vitamin D3 as an intermediary, which is then converted to compounds the plant uses for defence. Using gene editing, Professor Martin and her team have precisely tailored the genes in tomato plants so they accumulate very high levels of pro-vitamin D3 in the fruit and leaves. Exposure to sunlight or shining UVB light on the plants converts it into vitamin D3, which is the more stable form that's useful for humans.
This change in the genetic makeup does not affect the appearance or growth of the plants, or their yield, but means each tomato has potentially as much vitamin D as two eggs or 28g of tuna.
Next steps include the plants being crossed with sweeter tasting and striped varieties that can be marketed as the 'Sunshine' tomato, a nod towards its increased vitamin D content, as well as an application for FSA approval.
You can read the full marketing notice here on the GOV.UK website.
