Do Organic Tomatoes Have More Flavour?

Do organic tomatoes have more flavour?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The evidence on whether organic tomatoes have more flavor than conventional ones is mixed. While some studies suggest that organic tomatoes may have a more favorable flavor profile due to higher levels of certain compounds, others indicate that the differences in flavor are minimal and may be influenced by factors such as ripeness and growing conditions. Further research is needed to provide a definitive answer.

The debate over whether organic tomatoes have more flavor than their conventionally grown counterparts has been ongoing. Consumers often believe that organic produce is superior in taste, but scientific studies provide mixed results. This article reviews the findings from several research papers to determine if organic tomatoes indeed have a more pronounced flavor.

Consumer Sensory Analysis

A study comparing organically and conventionally grown vegetables, including tomatoes, found that conventionally produced tomatoes were rated as having a significantly stronger flavor than organically produced ones. However, the overall liking for both types of tomatoes was the same. The study suggested that the perceived flavor difference might be related to the ripeness of the tomatoes rather than the growing conditions1.

Qualitative and Nutritional Differences

Another study focused on the qualitative and nutritional differences in processing tomatoes grown under organic and conventional systems. It was found that organic tomatoes had higher levels of soluble solids, titratable acidity, and consistency, which are desirable traits for tomato paste production. These attributes could potentially make organic tomatoes more flavorful, although the study noted significant variability among different growers2.

Flavour Quality in Different Systems

Research on the flavor quality of organic tomatoes grown in different systems revealed that the growing system had only a minor effect on the chemical composition and sensory quality of tomatoes. The study indicated that the flavor profile of organically grown tomatoes was similar to that of conventional tomatoes, suggesting that growers could switch to different organic growing systems without affecting flavor quality3.

Nutritional Value and Antioxidant Activity

A study examining the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of tomatoes found that organic tomatoes had a more favorable ratio of total sugar to total acid, which contributed to a more pleasant flavor. Organic tomatoes were also perceived to be softer and preferred for their taste, flavor, texture, and juiciness. In contrast, conventional tomatoes were described as “not as ripe,” “dry,” and having “less aroma”4.

Do organic tomatoes have more flavour?

Roberto Lo Scalzo has answered Unlikely

An expert from Research Council in Agriculture of Italy in Biochemistry, Food Science, Agricultural Science, Organic Food

There are few scientific studies dedicated to this aspect of food quality, regarding the potential better taste of organic products, owing to its intrinsic difficulties.

Our recent work, published on 2019 in Food Chemistry, deeply investigated the presence of taste compounds by chemical and sensory methods in Italian varieties of tomato grown in Central Italy. We compared the type of drying, the type of growing (conventionally grown vs two types of organic grown tomato) and two different years of sampling. The most relevant difference regarded the difference in sampling years, enforcing the impact of climate in agriculture crops. The only clear differences between organic tomatoes and conventionally grown tomatoes were the acidity and the sugar content, which were slightly higher in organic samples, and some volatiles (aldehydes), higher in conventional samples.

Previous studies, such as Talavera-Bianchi et al 2010 specifically focused on palatability of organic products vs conventional ones, but did not definitively establish a superiority in taste for organic vs conventional food products. Fillion and Arazi in 2002, clearly stated “the global claim that organic food tastes better is not valid”, confirming previous data.