AND NOW - The Tomato Wars

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BBC Tuesday, 12 June, 2001, 09:35 GMT 10:35 UK

Tomato growers fuel ketchup row

Consumers need to eat an entire bottle of tomato ketchup a day to reap any of the major health benefits, warn tomato growers.

It is agreed that the antioxidant lycopene is more readily absorbed in processed tomatoes than the fresh fruit.

But the British tomato growers say the processing industry is using this fact to "mislead" the public by failing to mention that to get all the benefits, a person would need to consume an entire 200ml bottle of ketchup a day.

The tomato growers say eating six fresh tomatoes would provide the optimum 30mg of lycopene, with the added benefits of vitamins C and E.

Lycopene, which is also found in watermelon, grapes and some sorts of shell fish, is said to offer protection against cancer and heart disease and has even been found to boost sperm counts in infertile men.

"Misleading"

Gerry Hayman, a consultant to the British Tomato Growers' Association, said he was annoyed by the "misleading" claims over the benefits of processed tomatoes.

"Again and again claims are made, particularly by the Heinz-funded Lycopene Project, that it is best consumed by eating processed tomatoes, such as tomato sauce, rather than fresh tomatoes.

"This is fundamentally misleading. It is currently believed that the optimum daily intake of lycopene should be 25-30milligrams.

"To obtain this via, say tomato sauce, you would need to consume an entire 200ml bottle together with all the unwelcome baggage of salt and added sugars."

The Lycopene Project is a global initiative to identify and support further research into the health benefits of lycopene.

It was supported by HJ Heinz, the world's largest processor of tomatoes.

Lycopene

Nutritionist and dietician Jane Griffin said that although lycopene was more readily absorbed from processed tomatoes that the amounts needed made this difficult.

"The amount of processed tomatoes you would need to consume to reach 30mg of lycopene would be substantial. The British tomato growers do have a point."

She said the lycopene in fresh tomatoes could be more readily absorbed if the fresh fruit were cooked in a little oil.

But Dr Nigel Dickie, a nutritionist consultant to Heinz, said they had never claimed that the processed fruit should be the only source of lycopene.

"We have never suggested, nor would we, that you should only get lycopene from processed products or ketchup. That's nonsense.

"All our communication has been about the potential benefits of lycopene from a wide variety of sources. We don't suggest that anybody could get what might be an optimum intake of lycopene from eating ketchup."

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Answers

Hmmm. . .

"Tomato Wars" . . .

LOL, I thought this was going to be a thread where everyone posted pics of their tomato crops! LOLOL

BTW, picked and ate the first one from the garden yesterday . . .delish! BLT's, anyone? :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001


Aaaaargh! I can't wait for my first one! Should be soon, within a week. Again, I stress the influence of the Miracle-Gro potting soil with fertilizer mixed in. It's made a termendous difference in earliness and quantity of fruit. I've never had this much fruit on my plants. (You may remember we had a thread on a Consumer Reports article touting the superiority of M-G or Scott's soil containing fertilizer over the plain stuff with you doing the mixing. They were right.)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Oh, I'm a believer in Miracle-Gro as fertilizer, and don't doubt a bit that the MG potting soil is a winner, too. I couldn't find it when I was doing the plantings, but will definitely get some and put it away for next year's garden.

Something else I've always used that I think makes a big difference in the garden is Epsom salts. . .first started using it on a tip from a friend on my roses. Later read up about it and have used it in the vegetable garden. Makes a big difference in bloom production/bloom set in pepper and tomato plants, IMO. I've been alternating using a weak solution of Epsom salts with Miracle Gro this year (supplemented by weekly additions of compost), and have been pleased with the results.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001


I believe epsom salts are magnesium sulfate. Important if you have a magnesium deficiency in your soil. Dolomitic lime contains magnesium, so use that instead.

I don't think I'm capable of 6 tomatoes a day, but 2 a day, in freshly toasted mayo sandwiches, is standard fare.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001


We've had tomatoes since around Christmas new years. Althought that is because we don't get snow.

Our first plants were out by the fish pond, and we used to alternate watering with the hose with using the fish pond by over-filling it. All the plants around the pond just love the pond water, or rather whats in it. did I mention we had fish?

Our latest crop is on the west side of the house, mixed in with the banana trees. The are looking wonderful, green and lush, instead of insect eaten, and sun-burned. they now get the water from the washer, which the bananas love. we have more bananas right now then we have had in years.

[I suppose if I go out there now and look, I will find that the caterpillars have eaten all the leaves off the tomato plants, so I think I'll just stay in here where it's cool and 'assume' they are okay and healthy still.]

With this drought we thought the plants would suffer, but we are getting enough rain so watering is not a requirement, except for the bananas. In fact, I really should get out there and cut the grass, it must be a foot tall out there, but it looks so nice!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001



Woo-hoo, I picked my first one today, the earliest EVER! I pick them when they've just turned color, otherwise the birds/squirrels/chipmunks whatever get them.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Tomatoes...this is my favorite time of the year. Been pulling and eating the Homesteads for a couple weeks now, Celebrities are really loaded, best crop in years.

Then comes Allison..15 inches of rain at the garden, pulled all the onions yesterday. Ground had standing water, and the rain had beaten the soil from around the globes, but they still taste great. Have to decide on what to do with the potatoes next. Don't want them to rot in the ground, either.

Have often wondered if this spring eating binge starts the gout. I do love fresh pintos, but then, wife cans them for use all year. May be a moot thought, beans are growing on 4' tall fences, but are turning yellow after all the rain, but hope they recover. Temps in the upper 90's and ground water, they are practically cooked when we pick them.

Now we have to watch for mildew on the squashes and melons, which are just starting good.

Oh, I don't eat ketchup, but salsa is a treat.

Dennis

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001


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