Soggy sandwiches banished by super tomato

Sandwiches ruined by soggy tomatoes could become a thing of the past, a supermarket claims, as growers have developed a "leak free" version. Tesco this week is launching what it claims is the first ever tomato that will not leak all its moisture into the bread of a sandwich.

Emma Pettitt, Tesco's tomato buyer said: "Tomatoes are one of Britain's most loved vegetables but unfortunately their juiciness sometimes means that by lunchtime our lovely salad sarnie resembles a piece of wet cardboard. From now on, that will be a thing of the past."

The supermarket estimates that a normal salad tomato leaks 12 per cent of its moisture into the bread within an hour of the sandwich being made – transforming a gourmet lunchtime treat to a watery mess by the time an office worker or schoolchild eats it. The new tomato, however, loses just 3 per cent of is moisture, Tesco claims.



Foodies welcomed the new salad ingredient, but were sceptical that it would have the taste of a proper, succulent tomato.

Tesco's new variety is grown in Holland, shipped to the east of England before being trucked to the importer in Cheshire, and then distributed around the country.

The non-leaking tomatoes go on sale this week, priced at 99p for a punnet of four, compared with a standard pack, which costs 88p for six.