From ‘Frankenfood’ to superfood: Can the purple tomato overcome GMO myths to win over consumers?

Consumers know it’s important to eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables, however, they often fall short of meeting this important nutrition goal, especially when it comes to anthocyanins — the purple pigment that’s in blueberries, blackberries, red grape skins, eggplant and purple potatoes.

But what if the industry made it easier for consumers to get these crucial antioxidants in their diets by offering new and flavorful ways to consume them?

Enter Nathan Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, the company behind the Empress Purple Tomato, a bioengineered or genetically modified organism tomato “packed with antioxidants.”

But bringing a GMO purple tomato to market has not been without challenges.

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While Pumplin sees consumers becoming increasingly open to trying and embracing the purple tomato, education is critical to continuing to move the needle.

“We know that most consumers don’t actually know what a GMO is,” Pumplin says. …  He says labels like “non-GMO,” “pesticide free” and “organic” become cues for the consumer to determine what’s good, what’s bad and what they can trust.

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