Pineapple Fruit | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit widely consumed for its unique sweet-tart flavour, aroma, and nutritional richness, including vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, and bioactive compounds. It is used fresh, canned, juiced, and as a flavouring or ingredient in a broad range of food products globally.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Pineapple is broadly safe for the general adult population and has no established ADI, as it is a whole food with no significant regulatory concern at normal dietary intakes. Its naturally occurring enzyme bromelain is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and has not been linked to clinically apparent liver injury. Sporadic reports of IgE-mediated allergic reactions, gastrointestinal sensitivity, and potential interactions with anticoagulant drugs (e.g., warfarin, aspirin) exist, particularly with concentrated bromelain supplementation rather than typical fruit consumption.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Pineapple is a whole food freely permitted for sale and consumption across EU member states with no specific additive restrictions. Bromelain derived from pineapple is approved for oral and topical use in Europe, mainly for surgical wounds and inflammation.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Pineapple and pineapple juice are regulated under FSSAI Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011, Chapter 2.3 (Fruit & Vegetable Products). Fresh fruit is generally free of additives. Pineapple juice standards require a minimum of 22° Brix soluble solids. Tin (Sn) contamination limit for canned pineapple juice is 250 mg/kg per FSSAI Contaminants Regulations.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Pineapple is a whole food recognized as safe for consumption; regulated under 21 CFR Part 145 (canned pineapple) and 21 CFR Part 146 (pineapple juice). Bromelain derived from pineapple is classified as GRAS.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — Little is known about whether concentrated bromelain (e.g., from pineapple supplements or very high intake) is safe during pregnancy; NCCIH advises caution, though normal culinary consumption is generally considered safe.

Lactation — NCCIH notes insufficient evidence on bromelain safety during breastfeeding; typical fruit consumption poses no known concern, but concentrated extracts should be used with caution.

Other — Individuals taking anticoagulant medications (e.g., warfarin, aspirin) should use caution as bromelain in pineapple has antithrombotic and fibrinolytic properties that may enhance bleeding risk according to PMC4998156.

Other — Individuals with known bromelain or pineapple allergy may experience IgE-mediated allergic reactions including respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms following pineapple consumption (PMC8067380).

Diabetes — Pineapple has a moderately high natural sugar content and glycaemic index; people with diabetes should moderate portion sizes to avoid blood glucose spikes.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1NCCIH. Bromelain: Usefulness and Safety. nccih.nih.gov
2FDA. FDA Concludes Consultation on Pink Flesh Pineapple. cacmap.fda.gov
3other. Bromelain - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Efficacy and safety of bromelain: A systematic review and meta-analysis, 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 — Chapter 2.3: Fruit & Vegetable Products, 2023. fssai.gov.in
6PubMed. Pineapple (Ananas comosus): A comprehensive review of nutritional values, volatile compounds, health benefits, and potential food products, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched7 citations