Tomato | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the edible berry of the tomato plant, widely consumed as a vegetable ingredient in fresh, cooked, and processed forms for its flavor, color, and nutritional value. It is among the richest dietary sources of the antioxidant carotenoid lycopene, as well as vitamin C, potassium, and folate.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Tomatoes are universally regarded as a safe whole food with no restrictions in any major regulatory jurisdiction, supported by centuries of common dietary use. The key bioactive compound lycopene has been assigned an ADI of 0.5 mg/kg body weight/day from all dietary sources by EFSA (2008), with high consumers—particularly young children—potentially exceeding this level from processed tomato products. While epidemiological studies associate tomato consumption with reduced risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, neither EFSA nor FDA has approved formal health claims due to insufficient causal evidence.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Tomato is permitted for sale and consumption as a whole food and as processed products under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. No ADI is established for the whole fruit.source
Health Canada (Canada)	Approved	Tomatoes and tomato products are approved for sale as whole foods and processed commodities under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. No ADI is established.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Tomatoes are freely permitted whole foods under EU food law. EFSA's AFC Panel (2008) established an ADI of 0.5 mg/kg bw/day for lycopene from all dietary sources combined (including naturally occurring lycopene in tomatoes and added lycopene). Of 30 submitted health claim applications related to lycopene/tomato, EFSA approved only one: a water-soluble tomato concentrate (Fruitflow®) for maintaining normal platelet aggregation (Article 13.5).source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Tomatoes and tomato products regulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011. Lead limit for fruit and vegetable juices including tomato juice is set at 1.0 ppm. FSSAI also has ongoing revision of standards for thermally processed tomato puree and paste. India is the world's second-largest producer of tomatoes.

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Kidney Disease — Tomatoes are high in potassium; individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD stages 4–5) may need to limit tomato intake to prevent hyperkalemia, as impaired kidneys cannot efficiently excrete excess potassium.

Gout — Tomatoes contain oxalates and have been reported by some individuals with gout as a dietary trigger; while direct evidence is limited, those with recurrent gout or oxalate kidney stones may benefit from moderation.

Ibs — Tomatoes are acidic and contain skin, seeds, and fermentable sugars (fructose) that can aggravate IBS symptoms such as bloating, cramping, and diarrhea in sensitive individuals.

Other — Individuals with nightshade (Solanaceae) sensitivity or allergy, or those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), should limit tomato consumption due to high acidity and naturally occurring alkaloids (solanine) characteristic of the nightshade family.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. 21 CFR Part 155.190 – Canned Tomatoes. ecfr.gov
2PubMed. Lycopene and tomato and risk of cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence, 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Tomato and tomato byproducts. Human health benefits of lycopene and its application to meat products: a review, 2014. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. An Update on the Health Effects of Tomato Lycopene, 2013. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, 2011. fssai.gov.in
6FSSAI. FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 – Chapter 2.3: Fruit and Vegetable Products, 2011. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched11 citations