EDITORIAL – Super-tomatoes require scrutiny

Tesco, a major British supermarket chain, sells all sorts of tomatoes. One of their newest… Tesco, a major British supermarket chain, sells all sorts of tomatoes. One of their newest varieties is the Healthy Living Tomato on the Vine. This particular tomato, produced by the supermarket and bred from an assortment of other tomatoes in Holland, is named for its high lycopene content – up to twice the normal amount, according to Tesco.

Lycopene, which is found naturally in tomatoes, is believed by many to reduce the risk of prostate, colorectal and breast cancers and possibly also fight “bad” cholesterol. Because of this, demand for these juiced-up tomatoes has been high.

On the surface, this is a good thing. Fruits and vegetables in general are important parts of a balanced diet, and tomatoes have a number of beneficial nutrients in them. Also, since these particular tomatoes seem to be the product of very selective crossbreeding within the tomato family – rather than a genetic modification to the tomato’s genome – the risks normally associated with genetically modified foods are probably minimal. Whether or not lycopene is the wonder-substance it’s touted as, people are probably not hurting themselves by eating these tomatoes.

Healthy Living Tomatoes are, though, part of a growing trend toward foods that purport to have extra health benefits – Tesco calls them “functional foods” and plans to roll out several others in the future. The trend needs to be looked at carefully; after all, no supermarket or food producer develops a product simply out of a desire to help people. For every potentially beneficial, scientifically designed product, there is at least one marketing ploy designed to make consumers feel better about buying certain items.

Whole Grain Chips Ahoy, for example, may be marginally healthier than their traditional, 1,000 chip-delicious counterparts – but they’re still cookies. Enriched items, whether with folic acid, lycopene, vitamin D or any other beneficial mineral or vitamin, are still just foods. None of them guarantees a healthier life; there are unfortunately plenty of other factors that contribute to disease: tobacco and alcohol use, genetics and plain dumb luck among others.

Specific to food, it’s important to realize that no super-product eliminates the need to eat a variety of things. Eating a pound of tomatoes a day does not exempt a person from the need to get calcium, protein or any of the other necessary nutrients. The food pyramid has different segments for a reason – because there are a lot of different foods that people need to eat.

Unsurprisingly, the easiest way to sort the potentially useful from the waste of time comes down to one word: research. Before absentmindedly grabbing for the latest “functional” or enriched food, take some time to figure out if the purchase has any real benefits. Don’t just rely on the packaging for information – profit motives and philanthropy can be hard to tell apart.