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High hope for new tomato
25 Jun 2004
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries is trialling a new tomato which is not only redder that the average tomato but contains three times the normal levels of the antioxidant lycopene, a cancer-fighting agent. Lycopene gives tomatoes their red colour.
Qld Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said the department followed up on medical research which showed that diets rich in lycopene could reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men.
The researchers' experimental lines contain three times the lycopene levels of normal tomatoes, but the drawback is the lines are currently unacceptable for commercial production due to brittle stems, poor germination and low yields. The department is investigating ways to overcome these drawbacks.
The Daily Telegraph, 25/6/04, page 27.
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