What makes pineapples cause a burning / itchy feeling in the mouth?
Years ago the pineapple pieces I used to cut had something that caused an itchy / burning feeling in the mouth. After I heard that maybe some substances in the rind cause this irritation and I should clean the knife after every cut, the itchy / burning feeling never occurred again ... until today. Today I had a quite ripe pineapple.
What substances cause this feeling? How do I avoid them? If the substance really come from the rind: Is rinsing the pineapple pieces a good way to get rid of this nasty stuff?
Best Answer
Human skin contains oils which aid in blocking out the absorption of chemicals which would harm or irritate the skin. Those oils contain proteins. Pineapple contains a chemical compound called bromelain which has the ability to break down these proteins. This is bad, because it can then act on the skin itself (which is also comprised of protein molecules).
On top of that, pineapple is high in citric acid. The tingling/itching/burning sensation you describe is no doubt the result of both of these things acting upon the skin at the same time. Understandably, eating pineapple with (or after) meat high in oil content (such as pork at a luau) will mitigate against these effects.
Since there's no escaping this problem through the use of cutlery, there must have been some other factor at play to which you didn't make attribution at the time. In other words, some other factor was involved in slowing down or preventing the appearance of the undesired effects, such as the one I mentioned above.
In the old plantation South there's a tradition which involves giving pineapple as a gift to guests who are on the verge of overstaying their welcome. No doubt this is because the remarkable sweetness of pineapple is, quite soon enough, followed by a predictable unpleasantness.
On a side note regarding the acidity of pineapple, find here an entertaining blog entry as to whether pineapple is or isn't a citrus fruit (from which the pictures above and below were obtained).
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Quick Answer about "What makes pineapples cause a burning / itchy feeling in the mouth?"
The solution: An enzyme known as bromelain can causes the burning sensation in the mouth. This is one of the substances in pineapple and its function is to break down protein.Why do pineapples burn my mouth?
Because the bromelain dissolves the protective mucous that coats your tongue and the roof of your mouth, the acidity of the pineapple is particularly irritating. It's the one-two punch of bromelain and acid that really drives the stinging sensation home.How do I stop my mouth from itching from pineapple?
Thanks to Instagram account @metemgee, it turns out to dodge an itchy tongue and burning throat, you need to smother your pineapple in salt. A-huh, that's right. You simply need to rub your freshly skinned pineapple with salt... apparently.Does pineapple make your mouth itch?
You may have the symptoms of a pineapple allergy immediately after being exposed to the fruit, or it could take up to several hours for your first symptoms to appear. Intense itching and hives are often the first symptoms of an allergic reaction.Mouth sore after eating pineapple? It’s all due to the enzyme called bromelain
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Answer 2
Pineapples contain a substance called bromelain. It is a protease, which means it breaks down protein. It can therefore slightly damage the cells of your mouth, causing the irritation you describe. It has a culinary use as a meat tenderiser.
Bromelain is primarily concentrated in the stem of the pineapple but is found throughout the fruit. There is no way to get rid of it completely - just don't eat too much pineapple at once.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Arthur Brognoli