Home-grown fruit and veg really are healthier

IT has long been claimed by allotment-holders that their fruit and vegetables beat those from supermarket shelves.

Now scientists have proved home-grown produce is not just tastier but healthier too.

A study, carried out by experts at Kew Gardens, found that tomatoes are sweeter and richer in health-improving nutrients than those that are mass-produced.

The concentration of natural sugars, antioxidants and nutrient rich compounds called phenols peaked in the home-grown tomatoes, the study for a BBC show revealed.

Professor Monique Simmonds, deputy director of science at Kew, claimed massmarket tomatoes are often bred for their appearance rather than quality, that herbicides are used and that they are harvested early and artificially ripened to improve shelf life. She said all these things can damage the flavour and the nutrient level in the fruit.

‘Supermarkets are often looking for tomatoes that are a particular size because that’s how the public want it,’ she said. ‘Some of these tomatoes are smaller and they don’t grow in a uniform size, which makes them difficult for supermarkets to sell. It’s about educating the public. People don’t mind if something grown in their garden is not beautifully round but would they buy it from a supermarket?’

One example is the Gardener’s Delight cherry tomato, which was found to contain three times as much sugar as the shopbought variety, giving it a far sweeter taste.

While this experiment was with tomatoes, Professor Simmonds said results would be similar in other fruits and vegetables.

Professor Simmonds, who led the research for BBC2 show Kew on a Plate, said: ‘They are not going to be a cure for a disease but if you are eating them as part of a mixed diet they will definitely contribute to a healthier life – it’s the Mediterranean diet effect, having natural anti-oxidants in your diet.

‘If you’re eating enough of these it will build up to have an effect.’

The show, starting on Monday, follows presenter Kate Humble, 46, and chef Raymond Blanc, 65, as they create a vegetable garden.

The experiment saw Professor Simmonds take the pulp from different varieties of tomatoes and analyse it using sophisticated machinery to work out the concentration of different sugars and nutrients.