PARIS: Israeli researchers say they have genetically engineered tomatoes to give hints of lemon and rose aromas.

The transgenic tomato includes a gene from a variety of lemon basil, Ocimum basilicum, that produces an aroma-making enzyme called geraniol synthase, Efraim Lewinsohn of Newe Yaar Research Centre and colleagues report.

A panel of 82 people have tested the experimental fruit against unmodified counterparts.

Nearly all of them were able to detect novel aromas, which the testers variously described as ‘perfume’, ‘rose’, ‘geranium’ and ‘lemongrass’. When put to the taste, the genetically modified tomatoes were preferred by 49 members of the panel, while 29 preferred unmodified tomatoes and four expressed no preference.

The modified tomatoes have only a light red colour, though, because they have only half as much lycopene as conventional tomatoes. Conferring a bright blush to tomatoes, lycopene is an antioxidant, a compound credited with health-giving qualities. Offsetting the low levels of lycopene are higher levels of compounds called volatile terpenoids, which possess antimicroial, pesticidal and antifungal qualities, Lewinsohn contends.—AFP