A handful of these new Florida University modified tomatoes a day could help you easily reach your recommended daily vitamin A intake.
Researchers at the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences introduced the CCS gene, found in peppers and involved in carotenoid biosynthesis, into tomatoes to increase beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.
Carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for yellow, orange, and red colors.
The research was published in March 2026 in the Oxford University Press journal Plant Physiology, and, according to the lead researcher and UF/IFAS Professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department, Bala Rathinasabapathi, it was conducted to increase Vitamin A intake worldwide.
300 percent more vitamin A
The genetic modification resulted in orange tomatoes with over 1,000 micrograms of Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE), or Vitamin A, 300 percent more than the 150-250 amount found in unmodified tomatoes.
The team introduced the trait into several tomato varieties, including the heirloom Flamme Jaune. All modified tomatoes turned orange, had higher ascorbic acid (vitamin C) levels, lower sugar levels, and, according to the researcher, matched the taste of unmodified tomatoes.
The hybrids were also larger, and the plants produced higher yields than the original varieties.
“The modified fruit turned orange upon ripening, while unmodified tomatoes were bright red,” Rathinasabapathi explains. “This is because the red pigment of the tomato was converted into beta-carotene because of the gene we introduced.”
He says that, in general, tomatoes accumulate lycopene, which gives the fruit its red pigment, but not high levels of beta-carotene.
“We can confidently say our improved tomatoes are nutritionally more valuable than commercially available tomatoes and some of the food materials known for beta-carotene, such as carrots and kale,” he adds.
Tomatoes are the perfect choice for this innovation, he notes, since they are beloved and enjoyed in kitchens around the world.
“Daily consumption of 50 to 100 grams of these tomatoes can efficiently address vitamin A deficiency,” Rathinasabapathi explains. “And when we, the researchers, tasted them, fruit from modified plants was pleasant – slightly less sweet, slightly tarter, and more flavorful compared to fruit from unmodified controls.”
The university highlights that this research aims to combat the rising tide of vitamin A deficiency, a condition that hinders growth, weakens immunity and eyesight, and impacts 345 million people in 79 countries.
*Images courtesy of the University of Florida.
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