No, a pineapple is not a true fruit. It's classified as a multiple fruit or sometimes even a false fruit.
Understanding Pineapple's Unique Structure
Unlike fruits that develop from a single flower's ovary (like an apple or a cherry), a pineapple develops from the fusion of many individual flowers within a single inflorescence. Each flower produces a small fruitlet, and these fruitlets fuse together during ripening to form the pineapple we know. This unique development is why it's categorized as a multiple fruit. The reference stating that "Jack's fruit and pineapple are also called false fruits as they grow from all the inflorescences" supports this classification.
Why the Confusion?
The term "false fruit" can be misleading. It doesn't mean the pineapple isn't a fruit; it simply means its development isn't typical of a single-flower-derived fruit. Many sources refer to pineapples as multiple fruits, a more accurate and less confusing term.
The numerous references citing pineapple in food products such as "True Fruit, Cup Purely Pineapple," "True Fruit Snack, Purely Pineapple," and "True Citrus® | True Pineapple® Powdered" simply reflect the common usage of "pineapple" as a fruit in the commercial sense. These references don't contradict the botanical classification.
Botanical Classification vs. Culinary Usage
It's important to distinguish between botanical classifications and common culinary usage. While botanically, a pineapple is a multiple fruit (or false fruit according to some sources), it's still widely considered and used as a fruit in culinary contexts.
