Tomatoes just don’t have the same flavor they once did.
The taste of the fruit in the varieties that are found in the supermarket is described as bland, at best, and like cardboard, at worst.
"Modern commercial tomato varieties are substantially less flavorful than heirloom varieties," according to a new study in the journal Science.
The fruit has lost most of its flavor over the decades mainly as farmers have mass produced a larger version of it, scientists said.
Now researchers at the University of Florida believe they have the recipe for growing a better tasting tomato because they've discovered which genes control the flavor.
Biologist Harry Klee has studied the flavor of fruits and vegetables, especially the tomato, for the past decade.
“The taste of a tomato is the consequence of the interactions of sugars, acids and a set of 15-20 volatile compounds,” Klee said.
Klee said the ultimate goal of his research is to produce a better tasting tomato, including heirloom tomatoes, wild relatives, and cultivated tomatoes.
As part of his research, Klee and his team taste-tested more than 100 varieties of tomatoes and measured the chemical and genetic properties of almost 400 different varieties.
They discovered modern varieties of tomatoes are deficient in flavor chemicals.
Klee said he hopes researchers can restore the flavor of tomatoes by cross-breeding existing plants and grow a tastier fruit.
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