[News Terms] The Cause of Vomiting and Abdominal Pain from Cherry Tomatoes is 'Tomatine'

'Tomatine' is a protein sweetener naturally produced during the growth stage of tomatoes and naturally decomposes during the ripening process.

It is used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer, improving the flavor of coffee and black tea while alleviating unpleasant bitterness, sourness, and astringency. It also eliminates unpleasant tastes of vitamins, minerals, and the fishy taste of soybeans. It is obtained by extracting and purifying the fruit of Thaumatococcus daniellii, which grows wild in the tropical rainforest regions of Africa.

Cherry tomatoes grown using the Wando Natural Farming Method

Recently, after multiple reports of vomiting and abdominal pain following the consumption of cherry tomatoes, the government launched an investigation and suspected that the tomatine content in unripe tomatoes was the cause. On the 30th of last month, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety held an emergency meeting with the Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services and nutrition toxicity experts, identifying tomatine as the culprit.

In the case of cherry tomatoes (domestic variety registration number 'HS2106') that caused vomiting and abdominal pain, tomatine was produced in unusually high amounts due to exposure to lower-than-average temperatures earlier this year. Experts diagnosed that even after the cherry tomatoes were fully ripened, residual tomatine caused bitterness and vomiting.

The Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services analyzed, "During the harvest period of this variety in late January, the average temperature was about 3℃ lower than usual, causing tomatoes to grow under low-temperature conditions, which led to increased tomatine production."

The government stated that there are no issues with other tomato varieties besides 'HS2106.' So far, three farms cultivating specific cherry tomatoes linked to food poisoning cases have been identified, and one of these farms has already discarded the tomatoes, preventing them from reaching the market. The government has ordered temporary shipment restrictions and recommended voluntary recalls for the remaining two farms. Shipment will resume once precise testing confirms no difference from regular tomatoes.