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Americans will soon be getting more beta-carotene from their pizza, thanks to
tomato-breeding work by the US Department of Agriculture. “Typical tomatoes now
contain 2 to 5 micrograms of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, per
gram,” says John Stommel, a plant geneticist with the Agricultural Research
Service in Beltsville, Maryland. “But the varieties we just released have over
55 micrograms per gram.” He says the first crops are destined for tomato paste,
sauce and juice, but beefsteak and cherry tomatoes for salads will follow soon.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant, and is important for vision and the growth of
healthy bones and teeth.