Selection for bigger tomatoes has made the fruits less sweet, but now it has been shown that gene editing can make them sweeter without decreasing yields

The world produces around 180 million tons of tomatoes each year. Whether they are raw, cooked, or used in sauces, tomatoes are a staple in kitchens worldwide. However, not all tomatoes are created equal — some are much tastier than others.

I n a groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature, researchers have successfully used gene editing to create sweeter tomatoes without compromising their size or yield. By

Rotten tomatoes no more: growing sweeter tomatoes is possible by editing just two of the fruit’s genes. Deleting the genes increased the engineered fruits’ glucose and fructose levels by up to 30% over mass-produced tomatoes, according to a study 1 published today in Nature.

Using CRISPR, the popular gene-editing tool, scientists bumped up the fruit’s sugar content by 30 percent without sacrificing size or yields.

Today’s mass-produced tomatoes often grow to palm-sized proportions, but their naturally occurring ancestors were far smaller fruits. They were also sweeter and more flavorful due to their lower water content compared to the red fruits found in grocery stores—but recent genetic discoveries have unlocked the path to attaining the best of both worlds.

Scientists could engineer tomatoes to be sweeter without sacrificing their size - Other crops could follow suit

Tomatoes could be engineered to be sweeter without sacrificing their size, research suggests. Experts said that most consumers prefer sweeter tomatoes and higher sugar content increases the value of the tomato for the tomato processing industry.