Saucy!

Epigram 31 January 2005 (Issue 167)
http://www.epigram.org.uk/view.php?id=335

The next time you order cheesy chips from the Hunger Hatch, make sure you take a closer look at the colour of your tomato sauce.

Organic ketchup has been found to contain up to three times more lycopene, the red pigment responsible for the colour of tomatoes, than non-organic brands.

Lycopene has been shown to protect against prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer and is also thought to reduce the risk of heart attacks. The chemical is also found in baked beans, the cornerstone of any student meal.

New research from America investigated levels of the compound in 13 different brands of tomato sauce. The three organic brands excelled, one having 183 micrograms of lycopene per gram of ketchup, compared with one fast-food sample which had just 60 micrograms.

According to the researchers, the best way to ensure high levels of lycopene is to pick the darkest red ketchup.

A spokesperson from Heinz declined to comment on the findings.