Shannon Illingworth, Founder of GP Solutions, Wants You to Know Why Tomatoes in America Are Flavorless

Rhea-AI Summary

Shannon Illingworth, founder of GP Solutions (GWPD), highlights the challenges in the American tomato industry through his new organization, Know the Grow. He emphasizes the decline in flavor and nutritional value of tomatoes due to a focus on yield in modern farming. Illingworth points out that tomatoes today lack essential vitamins compared to those grown in the 1960s. He advocates for consumer awareness regarding food production, noting the prevalence of harmful chemicals in corporate farming practices, and stresses that consumers can still find naturally grown produce.

Positive

• Founder Shannon Illingworth promotes awareness of food origins.
• Launch of 'Know the Grow' could enhance brand visibility.
• Focus on nutritious and flavorful produce aligns with consumer trends.

Negative

• Modern tomatoes have significantly reduced vitamin C and nutritional value.
• Reliance on harmful chemicals in corporate farming raises health concerns.

Inventor of GrowPods aims to raise awareness about farming methods in the United States

CORONA, Calif., Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GP Solutions, Inc (Ticker: GWPD), announced that company founder, Shannon Illingworth, is speaking out about the tomato industry in America. His new organization, "Know the Grow," is dedicated to educating the public about where and how food is grown in America.

In his book Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit, author Barry Estabrook examined the issue.

"For the last 50 or more years, tomato breeders have concentrated essentially on one thing and that is yield," Estabrook told NPR. "They also want those fruits to be able to stand up to being harvested, packed, artificially turned orange [with ethylene gas] and then shipped away and still be holding together in the supermarket a week or 10 days later."

According to Science Magazine, modern production methods favor production over flavor. Commercial tomatoes contain "significantly lower amounts of many important flavor chemicals than older varieties," they report.

And lack of flavor isn't the only problem.

Nutritional values have plummeted in recent decades. According to Estabrook, tomatoes grown in the 1960's had 30 to 40 percent more vitamin C, and more niacin and calcium.

Harmful chemicals also are endemic to today's corporate-grown tomato crops. A recent study found that pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides are frequently used for the protection of plants. "Those active substances can absorb from the treated surface and act systemically, and thus can accumulate in the plant posing a higher risk to consumers," according to study authors.

Shannon Illingworth, Founder of GP Solutions, and the inventor of GrowPods, said most  people don't even know what a normal tomato is supposed to look like.

"Today, there are a few so-called 'ugly' tomatoes at some stores, but for the most part, tomatoes are bred for uniform shape and coloration, and ability to withstand disease and distribution, not for flavor or nutritional value," Illingworth said.

"My hope is that people understand how their food was grown," Illingworth added. "It's still possible to get fruits and vegetables the way nature intended, but you have to be a knowledgeable and careful consumer."

For more information on Know the Grow, visit: www.knowthegrow.org.

To contact GP Solutions, visit: www.growpodsolutions, or call: (951) 549-9490.

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SOURCE GP Solutions

FAQ

What is 'Know the Grow' related to GWPD?

'Know the Grow' is an initiative by GP Solutions founder Shannon Illingworth aimed at educating consumers about food production.

What are the concerns raised by GP Solutions regarding tomatoes?

GP Solutions highlights declining flavor and nutritional value in modern tomatoes, alongside the use of harmful chemicals in farming.

How does GP Solutions plan to impact the tomato industry?

Through education and advocacy, GP Solutions aims to promote awareness and encourage consumers to seek naturally grown produce.

What nutritional changes have occurred in tomatoes over the decades?

Tomatoes today have 30 to 40 percent less vitamin C compared to those grown in the 1960s, indicating a decline in nutritional value.

What is the significance of Shannon Illingworth's statements?

Illingworth's statements emphasize the critical issues in the tomato supply chain, aiming to educate consumers on food origins.