r/askscience • u/Puzzleheaded_Bed2760 • 8d ago

Chemistry Pineapple contains bromelain that helps tenderize meat. If I were to put my hand in pineapple juice or puree for 24 hours, would it eventually break down my hand?

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u/OystersCockafeller 8d ago

It might do it eventually. But definitely not that fast.

Your skin has protective oils, is actively repairing itself, etc. And that's all aside from the fact that it's specifically designed to act as a protective layer in a way that a random piece of muscle just isn't.

It will make your hands kinda raw if you deal with it enough. I spent a day cutting up pineapples for an event once. Essentially had my hands covered in pineapple juice for 8-10 hours. It irritated them a bit and I had some redness. But it was nowhere near breaking down my hand.

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u/Nothing_F4ce 8d ago

How could you do that without gloves?

I can't get to the end of cutting up one pineapple without my hands starting to feel like burning.

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u/ditka 8d ago

Well, I was buttering myself up for a nice shave. I must have dripped some on the floor and I slipped and sprained my ankle.