How were the high-anthocyanin purple tomatoes developed, distinguishing them from GMOs?
Answer
Traditional cross-breeding techniques
It is crucial to recognize that the widely discussed, high-anthocyanin purple tomatoes are explicitly distinguished from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Their development utilized conventional agricultural science, specifically traditional cross-breeding methods. Researchers focused on selecting existing tomato lines that inherently possessed genes capable of producing high levels of the desired pigment. These selected lines were then systematically crossed with standard tomato varieties. This selective process allowed the desired trait—the elevated anthocyanin content—to be integrated into the familiar structure of an edible tomato without employing genetic modification technology.

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