Tool for cutting pineapples

Hello and greetings. I have a tool for cutting pineapples into shapes, meaning it removes the flesh of the fruit from its rind and cuts it into circular pineapple shapes. Is it permissible to use it on Shabbat?

Hello,

I am not familiar with the specific tool, but I will write down the principles according to which you can decide.

A. It is forbidden to separate food from waste using a utensil intended for that purpose, such as a strainer or a peeler designed to separate the peel from the fruit effectively.

B. It is permissible to cut the peel of a fruit with a knife, as the knife is not a utensil intended for separation but rather assists in the cutting, similar to separating the peel by hand.

C. In the case where the cutting does not divide precisely between the peel and the fruit, meaning a lot of fruit remains with the peel or vice versa, this is not considered an act of “selecting” (“breirah”), which is forbidden.

Based on your description, it seems to me that this tool cuts imprecisely between the peel and the fruit and is primarily used to give a neat shape to the cut. Therefore, if that is the case, its use is permissible on Shabbat.

However, since there is separation between the food and the peel, it should be done immediately before eating. If the pineapple is consumed during a meal, this can be done shortly before the start of the meal, even if the pineapple is only eaten towards the end of the meal.

Shabbat shalom.

Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, Chapter 319