Produce
Papaya
USDA’s monitoring programme has not sampled papaya in any year this site ingests, so there is no residue evidence for it either way. It is peeled and seeded before eating, which is a reason to expect low exposure — but expectation is not measurement, and we are not going to present one as the other.
Organic upgrade priority
Residue data does not apply
- →Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to this food in the same way.
Key numbers
- Nutrient density
- 80/100
- Per calorie, across the whole database
- Typical price
- $4.49
- per each · no organic version stocked
- Servings a week
- 1.4
- Per person, at typical purchase volume
Nutrition
Per 1 cup cubes (145 g).
62
calories
0.7 g
protein
2.5 g
fiber
11.3 g
sugar
- Vitamin C 98% DV
- Vitamin A 31% DV
- Papain enzymes
How to wash papaya
Rinse and dry the outside, then peel. Scoop and discard the seeds unless you want their peppery bite in a dressing.
Washing reduces surface residue and soil. It does not remove systemic compounds taken up into the plant, and no soap, vinegar, or commercial produce wash has been shown to beat 30 seconds of plain running water by a margin worth paying for. Full washing guide.
Buying and storing
- ◆Most papaya sold in the U.S. is the Hawaiian Rainbow variety, engineered for ringspot virus resistance. That has no bearing on residue data, but it does mean certified-organic papaya is genuinely hard to find.
- ◆Ripe papaya gives to gentle pressure and smells faintly sweet at the stem end. Green fruit never sweetens properly indoors.
Common questions
›Is papaya a healthy choice?
USDA’s monitoring programme has not sampled papaya in any year this site ingests, so there is no residue evidence for it either way. It is peeled and seeded before eating, which is a reason to expect low exposure — but expectation is not measurement, and we are not going to present one as the other. A 1 cup cubes (145 g) serving provides 62 calories, 0.7 g protein, and 2.5 g fiber, scoring 80/100 on nutrient density.
›Does papaya need to be organic?
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to papaya the way it does to fresh produce, so this site does not assign an organic upgrade priority. The label buys you a defined set of production standards rather than a measurable change in residue evidence.
›How should I wash papaya?
Rinse and dry the outside, then peel. Scoop and discard the seeds unless you want their peppery bite in a dressing.
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