By Preston Lin
Pineapples ∝ World Peace
It’s Already True!
Hawaiian pizza was the most popular pizza in the United States (2020, Grubhub’s yearly food reports). Research Co. further adds with their survey information: 83% of British Columbians would eat pizza with pineapples. This clearly proves the love for the controversial dish, and hence, proves its belonging. But why doesn’t it belong? Considering this case allows us to realize another problem that attacks more than just pineapples; this tally may not be accurate to the experience outside because of the chained effect of stigma; often, expressing opinions on sensitive topics are difficult; for a while, pineapple on pizza has been looked down on, and people who favoured it publicly were faced with hate. Like systemic racism, victims would internalize the hate, then would subsequently submit to the stigma which further spread the effect. Surveys help prove the existence of stigma through the drastic contrast in a controlled environment with less social influence. In a small sample survey in St. John’s school in Vancouver, ~66% of the participants shared their love of pineapple pizza. Whereas some students’ in-school observations show a number around 50%; this is a 16% difference from the survey. Understanding this real problem in a pineapple case is great for experience and data for larger problems that relate. Speaking of large problems:
Climate Change
In one year alone, around 700 tons of Formosa Pineapples were wasted in the Philippines. And it’s not just there. Pizzerias take part in wasting the fruit from the unstable demand of pineapple pizza. Declaring its spot among other pizzas would heavily reduce the amount of wasted material. Improper disposal of organic waste deeply damages air quality before accelerating climate change. They also turn into food sources for animals, which may sound great at the start, but their sudden reliance on the unstable output of pineapples destabilizes the ecosystem by changing the existing food chains. Disrupting the biosphere can devastate agriculture and acts as an example of the butterfly effect and can create unpredictable predicaments. We can currently mitigate this issue by finding a way to popularize this way to use the fruit. So why not make one small step to solve this potential problem by believing pineapples belong?
Health
And if they did belong, pineapple pizza will become more popular and available; more people will try it. The stigma surrounding this “food experimentation” will be eliminated, and plus, give a model for how to solve these issues. Another important part is the increased access to health benefits: In Canada, 9 million people have arthritis which proper nutrition can combat especially with manganese, which the pineapple has a good amount of. They also help your mental state as well: knowing you are eating fruit subconsciously builds a healthy mind.
But also, Pineapples can hurt you!
The National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in Japan conducted a study in 2014 where silkworms’ diets were tested by modifying their food source by covering it with bromelain and raphides — both defensive mechanisms in the pineapple. The results showed increased mortality and decreased growth rate. The pineapple hurts these silkworms and hurts your taste buds; therefore, they lower your overall taste sensitivity. Over time, humans lose their taste; think for yourself: does food feel duller than before? That’s why most kids are picky eaters in the first place: they taste food better. By having pineapples on pizza, more kids will have more access to this taste-weakening fruit, resulting in less food waste produced from picky eaters.