Summer Swell tomato developed through ‘On-Demand Breeding’

Sound Agriculture has launched the Summer Swell tomato, a new slicing tomato variety developed through a unique breeding process.

The Summer Swell is the first food to be grown using what Sound Agriculture calls On-Demand Breeding, a non-GMO process that uses epigenetics to develop plant traits 10 times faster than current methods, according to the company. For Summer Swell, that means increased durability and improved flavor, leading to reduced food waste and a more enjoyable eating experience, according to a news release.

Summer Swell went from an idea to a new tomato within two years, representing a pace of innovation never before seen in plant breeding. The Summer Swell offers many benefits over existing slicing tomatoes:

• A new, more flavorful variety, reminiscent of an heirloom tomato.
• Ability to remain on the vine longer and develop more flavor and sweetness, while still being able to better withstand transportation logistics.
• Once at a consumer’s home, the typical Summer Swells retains peak flavor and firmness for eight days compared to three days with most heirloom tomatoes.

The tomato will be distributed through New York City-based produce wholesaler distributor S. Katzman Produce and available at grocery stores in the New York metropolitan area beginning in April.

“Our customers are looking for new, innovative products that offer a great tasting experience,” Stefanie Katzman, executive vice president at S. Katzman Produce, said in the release. “We were drawn to Summer Swell because of its proprietary platform, which is used to enhance flavor and shelf life, two key factors that contribute to improved consumer experience and increased produce consumption.”

Sound Agriculture is working with more than a dozen companies, including consumer packaged goods, ingredient and seed companies, to develop new varieties with improved nutritional content, reduced browning, increased pest resistance, improved texture, enhanced color and other traits. These improvements address important health and sustainability issues by improving nutrition, increasing access to healthy foods, and reducing food waste and chemical use, according to the company.

“With On-Demand Breeding, consumers have access to great tasting plant-based options today without having to wait the five to ten years required by the traditional breeding process,” Adam Litle, CEO of Sound Agriculture, said in the release. “By tuning natural trait expression, the Summer Swell tomato gives people access to delicious heirloom tomato flavor any time of year.”

For more information, including store locations once available, visit www.summerswelltomato.com.