Reaction to pineapple skin?

[YouKnowWho]

So my SIL has been dealing with a nasty rash off and on for the last two years.  And after all of this time, she thinks she has pinpointed the cause.

Shortly after picking up a whole pineapple to put in her carry basket, her wrist started going nuts.  This is a rash that generally starts on her interior wrist and snakes down her arm.  It's almost like a poison ivy rash because it can last for weeks.  Mind you, she can eat pineapple fine and has no symptoms or even oral allergy reactions. 

Not thinking about it, early last week, she picked up the remaining pineapple in her fridge to move it and ended up with a rash on her other hand.

Any thoughts on what could be causing this?  Should she be wary of eating pineapple?  Is it the skin or could it be the pesticides?

[GingerPye]

It seems to me like it's more what is on the outside of the pineapple, so whatever chemicals that would be.  Which makes me crazy.  But that's just a guess.

[luci]

Yes, they spray a lot of pesticide on pineapples.  But I also noticed  mold growing on them where the fruit attaches to the plant.  I notice this at Costco when they get a really fresh shipment in and the bottom of fruit is still damp and not dried out yet.  Maui Gold variety pineapples have so much sugar that maybe there is mold growing all over the pineapple.   I usually wash the whole thing with detergent and rinse very well, then cut the skin off and discard right away.  (If you want to be more certain about mold you could soak the pineapple in a sink full of water with a little bleach).

[YouKnowWho]

She does have mold issues thanks to a basement apartment that would often become damp (err, waterlogged). 

I thought I remembered reading that pineapple itself had a high histamine causing ingredient but searching for it is not working.

[rebekahc]

Found this:

The resin in the pineapple skin may cause an itchy rash in some people (as does the mango). Gloves are recommended for those prone to rashes while handling and skinning the fresh fruit.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhealthinformation/a/pineapplehealth.htm

[YouKnowWho]

Thank you!

[GingerPye]

oh, that's interesting!