Cancer-fighting tomato on sale

Tue, 11 Apr 2006
 
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A tomato containing high levels of an antioxidant that may cut prostate cancer risk is to be launched in the UK .

The specially bred fruit contains high levels of an antioxidant that may cut the risk of prostate cancer .

The new variety was created naturally by crossing varieties with high lycopene levels, linked with reducing the risk of certain cancers .

Tesco says its new "healthy living" tomato contains roughly a third more lycopene than other vine varieties.

Functional foods such as tomatoes naturally have high levels of lycopene however this naturally-bred variety has even higher levels than standard ones," said Ian Reed, produce technical manager for Tesco.

"The health benefits of antioxidants such as lycopene in our diets have recently attracted a lot of positive attention from both the medical and culinary worlds," he said.

Tesco sells more than 70,000 tons of tomatoes a year and trialling the new variety in Sussex stores .

The tomatoes will only be available in packs of four to five tomatoes (retail price £1.89) in the company's south coast stores, but if sales are good, as Reed expects them to be, then the variety will be made available throughout the UK.

Ian Reed, said, "This is the first step for Tesco into the developing world of functional foods and we plan to extend our range as public interest grows."

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