Tomato & Health

In January 2000, WPTC member AMITOM published the « Whitebook on the Antioxidants in Tomatoes and Tomato Product », the first  comprehensive scientific review of the scientific literature on the subject which was carried out by a team of scientists as part of a EU-funded project.

The document is unfortunately out of print, and some of its findings are out of date as there has been many new publications since,  but an electronic version can be obtained by contacting Sophie Colvine at colvine@tomate.org

In 2002, the WPTC published a 4-page leaflet to explain the health benefits of the antioxidants in tomatoes, based on the findings of the above-mentioned « Whitebook on the Antioxidants in Tomatoes and Tomato Product ».

For more information, and to obtain copies of this document please contact Sophie Colvine at colvine@tomate.org

Edited by Venket Rao

This book, published in January 2007 with the support of the WPTC, provides an essential foundation of scientific authority which will be the first point of reference for health information based promotion. Edited by one of the most respected scientists in this field of research, Dr. A. Venket Rao, it is the first unbranded, fully independent scientific reference book on tomato health effects ever to be published and is written by 28 internationally recognized scientists, each a specialist with their chosen field supported by an enormous and compelling body of evidence.

For a list of the topics covered by this book:  book synopsis

A special price for WPTC members has been agreed with the publisher, Caledonian Science Press. For more information please contact them directly at:

jonathan.hawkins@caledoniansciencepress.com or www.caledoniansciencepress.com

The www.tomatoandhealth.com, which was launched in October 2007 with the support of the WPTC, is a multi-audience, interactive online magazine, educational resource centre, media and communications platform and public health nutrition forum dedicated to defining and promoting the Mediterranean diet as well as healthy foods and recipes from all the world's culinary cultures, with a special emphasis on tomatoes and tomato product.

This online resource centre is part of the dissemination platform for the LYCOCARD  research project (see below).

WPTC member AMITOM is one of the 15  members of the LYCOCARD consortium (www.lycocard.com), which is a publicly funded 5-year research programme (5.2 million euros by the European Commission) looking at the role of lycopene in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

WPTC is officially recognised as  the organisation entrusted to disseminate the project research results outside Europe.

Organisation: Tomato Products Wellness Council

The Tomato Products Wellness Council (www.tomatowellness.com)  was created in September 2006. The Council, made up of growers, processors and brand representatives, mainly in North America, formed to take a unified approach to build demand responsibly and increase consumption.

Although there is no official link between TPWC and WPTC, the two bodies cooperate and exchange information.

Prior to funding any research, the TPWC commissioned a review which was used as the basis for a scientific roundtable held in September 2006. This review includes abstracts of scientific research conducted: the research report, and its update through October 2007,  is available from www.tomatowellness.com/research.