Are pear, plum, and prune seeds toxic?
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The bottom line
Pear, prune, and plum seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that the body metabolizes into cyanide. Cyanide deprives cells of oxygen and is a lethal poison. Symptoms following exposure may be delayed. Swallowing the seeds from 1 pear core, or 1 or 2 whole plum or prune seeds, is unlikely to cause harm. Chewing or crushing seeds, or swallowing several at once, raises the risk of cyanide poisoning.
Prevention tips
Eat the fruit of the pears, prunes and plums and discard the seed.
Discard the pear core.
Remove the seed before using pears, prunes and plums in recipes.
Do not chew or grind seeds.
Remove seeds before giving pears, prunes and plums to children.
Do not let pets eat seeds from these fruits.
This really happened
A 15-year-old girl ingested a whole pear including the seeds in the core. Her friend Googled “pear seeds” and read that the seeds contain cyanide. She tried to induce vomiting by sticking her finger down her throat but just gagged. She called her poison center to check if she was at risk of cyanide poisoning and whether she needed to go to the emergency room. The poison specialist asked if she had chewed the seeds—she hadn’t—and she had no symptoms. The specialist confirmed this was a non-toxic ingestion and no treatment was needed.
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What is in pear, prune, and plum seeds?
The pit or stone at the center of a plum or prune is the seed. Inside that hard shell is the kernel, which contains amygdalin. When the body breaks down amygdalin, it produces cyanide. Pears have small, hard seeds similar to apple seeds in their core that also contain amygdalin.
Do pears, prunes, and plums contain cyanide?
Yes. The seeds in pears and the kernels inside plum and prune pits all contain amygdalin, a naturally occurring compound. The body breaks amygdalin down into cyanide, which can be fatal.
Are pear, prune, and plum seeds poisonous?
Yes. Plums contain between 0.4 and 17.5 mg of amygdalin per gram of seed, with the highest levels in green and black plums. Pear seeds contain about 1.3 mg per gram. Cyanide prevents cells from using oxygen. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include headache, trouble breathing, fainting, seizures, coma, and cardiovascular collapse. Symptoms can be delayed because it takes time for the body to convert amygdalin to cyanide.
What should I do if someone eats pear, prune, or plum seeds?
If someone accidentally swallows a seed/pit while eating the fruit, you do not need to do anything. The whole seed should traverse the digestive tract and be eliminated in the stool. If the seed is chewed or crushed or if someone ingests several seeds and/or the person is symptomatic, contact your poison center or a health care professional.
If someone swallows pear, prune or plum seeds or kernels, or if you have a question about the seeds or kernels of these fruits, use the webPOISONCONTROL online tool to get immediate help, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
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