Pineapples are delicious but quite difficult to cut. Most of us have consumed canned pineapple for most of our lives and have rarely seen a full one. However, once observed, it is impossible not to notice how spiky it is. But why is it so?
The “thorns” on a pineapple are the flowers’ wilted petals that gave rise to the fruit. There is no particular justification for them other than the fact that the flowers formerly had a purpose and stayed attached to the skin after they died and became spiky.
Pineapples are considered exotic fruits and they are expensive. Continue reading to find out the origin of pineapple, its nutritional profile, assess its benefits, and disadvantages and discover some other interesting facts about pineapple.
Origin
Its wild ancestor originated somewhere between Brazil and Paraguay, and it was domesticated and cultivated by the Mayans and Aztecs approximately 3,000 years ago. Before the arrival of Europeans, the pineapple was already a staple crop in many native cuisines.
Where Pineapples Are Grown?
The majority of pineapple plants are found in Latin America and West Africa. The majority of the pineapples on the European market come from Costa Rica, which supplies 75% of the pineapples in the European Union.
In reality, the Costa Rican export market for tropical fruits was worth $1.22 billion in 2015.
How Pineapples Are Grown
In pineapple production, there are a variety of labour jobs, from land preparation in the field to packing pineapples into boxes in the pack house. To find out more, keep on reading.
Worker Conditions
Worker conditions might be extremely challenging. Pineapple plants are thorny and difficult to handle, they grow low to the ground, requiring workers to squat over them, and the monoculture production method necessitates that there be no shade over the plants.
Therefore, workers have little relief from the oppressive daytime heat. The bulk of large-scale plantations operates around the clock. Therefore, employees work in shifts ranging from 8 to 14 hours, depending on the time of the shift.
Type Of Tasks
The types of tasks, both in the field and during packing hours, require the use of heavy machinery and the performance of repetitive, physically demanding tasks (i.e., constant bending over to plant seeds, weed and harvest the pineapples). However, some businesses are implementing mechanized harvesting, which reduces the burden on workers.
What Specific Enzyme Is Present In Pineapple
Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple, is capable of degrading proteins. There are structural proteins in gelatin (jello). When the Bromelain in pineapple interacts with the Jello proteins, the Jello proteins are destroyed and the Jello becomes liquid.
Are Pineapples Berries?
Yes. Quite a few fruits and vegetables are berries. Bananas, watermelons, tomatoes, avocados, blueberries, oranges, pomegranates and cucumbers! Pineapples, like raspberries and blackberries, are complex fruit. The definition of a berry is a single fruit that develops from a single flower ovary and contains seeds.
Can You Eat Pineapple Eyes?
Yes, pineapple eyeballs are edible. They may be a little more difficult to chew, but they are certainly edible. Since we know that the inner core is the least sweet, any parts that are closer to the core will be less sweet than the outer part. And the eyes themselves are located on the pineapple’s outer edge.
Benefits Of Pineapple
Pineapples are loaded with nutrients, and contain disease-fighting antioxidants. They May aid digestion. May reduce your risk of cancer. It may boost immunity and suppress inflammation.
Eating pineapple is likely to ease symptoms of arthritis, and it can also speed recovery after surgery or strenuous exercise, Lastly, Pineapple is easy to add to your diet and has multiple health benefits.
The Problem With Pineapples
There are different Social (Migrant Workers, Salaries, Subcontractors), Health and Environmental problems and concerns when it comes to pineapples. Keep on reading to learn more.
Migrant Workers
Approximately 70% of pineapple industry employees in Costa Rica are Nicaraguan migrants. These migrant workers are the key to the pineapple industry’s prosperity in Costa Rica.
They offer a cheaper and more adaptable labour force. Many lack formal documents or visas, making them especially susceptible to the authority of their employers, who can fire and deport them at the first sign of problems, such as if they complain about working conditions or join a trade union.
Salaries
The average weekly income for pineapple workers in Costa Rica is above the national average, at €73. To gain this “honour,” individuals need to labour at least 80 hours every week. Many pineapple workers earn approximately half of what they consider a “living wage.”
Subcontractors
Approximately fifty percent of workers on pineapple plantations in Costa Rica are engaged through subcontractors who provide a flexible, low-paid, and non-unionized workforce.
In addition, they allow manufacturing businesses to evade direct accountability for guaranteeing sufficient working conditions in accordance with national and international labour laws.
Use Of Chemicals
Pineapple cultivation is characterized by large-scale, high-input, monoculture farms that rely heavily on a variety of harmful agrochemicals. On each cultivated hectare in Costa Rica, more than 50 distinct chemical compounds and 30-38 kg of chemicals are applied annually.
Some of the compounds, such as Paraquat, are not permitted for usage in the European Union and are classed as potentially carcinogenic in the United States. According to the legislation, pesticide employees are only permitted to work six hours per day, although they frequently work long hours.
Environmental Issues
In addition, the poor environmental practices of both domestic and international producers are causing contamination of local aquifers and groundwater, soil erosion, sedimentation, and deforestation.
In the communities of El Cairo, La Francia, and Luisiana in the Southern Atlantic zone of Costa Rica, approximately 6,000 people must rely on government tanks to bring drinking water supplies to the afflicted region because their natural sources of drinking water have been contaminated.
Local communities have reportedly reported skin disorders, respiratory issues, gastrointestinal illnesses, and birth deformities. Environmental restrictions continue to be breached despite national.
And international initiatives to limit the destructive expansion of pineapple production and hold firms accountable for their activities; the economic and political strength of pineapple companies ensures their impunity.
Conclusion
Pineapple is a huge, oval-shaped fruit with a sweet, juicy, yellow flesh and a thick, brown peel. The outside of the pineapple is prickly and thorny, and its golden flesh is both delicious and sour.
The pineapple plant’s skin is not considered poisonous, and while the entire fruit is non-toxic, the unripe flesh, thorns, and leaves can have potentially dangerous consequences.
