Why Commercial Tomatoes Have No Taste: The Biochemistry and Genetics of Flavor Preferences

Professor Harry Klee of the University of Florida will address the oft heard query in the vegetable section of the supermarket, “Why don’t commercial tomatoes have any taste?” in his talk on the biochemistry and genetics of flavor preferences. Dr. Klee strives to understand the chemical and genetic make-up of “flavor” in fruits and vegetables. His talk will describe how he and his group identify the genes that control syntheses of the flavor volatiles. He’ll then explain how they use this knowledge to produce a better-tasting tomato, thus trying to push the flavor calendar back decades to recapture the characteristics that were present in tomatoes in the first half of the 20th century.

Flyer: Why-Commercial-Tomatoes-Have-No-Taste (PDF)