Sound Agriculture launches on-demand-bred tomato

Sound Agriculture has launched the Summer Swell tomato, a new slicing tomato variety grown using on-demand breeding, a non-GMO process that uses epigenetics to develop plant traits 10 times faster than current methods, according to a news release.

The Emeryville, Calif.-based company says that means increased durability and improved flavor, leading to reduced food waste and a better eating experience that ultimately promotes produce consumption.

The Summer Swell 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 April 2023, the release said.

“Our customers are looking for new, innovative products that offer a great tasting experience,” said Stefanie Katzman, executive vice president at S. Katzman Produce. “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.”

Summer Swell went from an idea to a new tomato within two years, which Sound Agriculture says represents a new pace of innovation in plant breeding.

“With on-demand breeding, consumers have access to great-tasting plant-based options today without having to wait the five to 10 years required by the traditional breeding process,” said Adam Litle, CEO of Sound Agriculture. “By tuning natural trait expression, the Summer Swell tomato gives people access to delicious heirloom tomato flavor any time of year.” 

The company describes Summer Swell as a new, more flavorful variety reminiscent of an heirloom tomato, with additional benefits including:

• The ability to remain on the vine longer and develop more flavor and sweetness, while still being able to better withstand transportation logistics. 
• Extended shelf life: 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. 

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