Is Papaya (raw / unripe) safe during pregnancy?

Fruit Also called Katcha pepita (Hindi); Pempe (Kacha) (Bengali); Pappalikkaai (Tamil); Boppayi kaya (Telugu); Papaya (Marathi); Omakaya (Malayalam); Parangi (Kannada); Papayi (Gujarati).

No official guidance

None of the official sources we searched names papaya in its pregnancy advice, so there is no official verdict. The general rules below still apply.

No official guidance

We searched these official sources for “Green papaya”, “Kaccha papita” and “Papaya”. None names this food in its pregnancy advice, so this page gives no verdict of its own.

US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years)
US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
US FDA: Dairy and Eggs (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
US FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
US FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
US FDA: Eating Out & Bringing In (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
US FDA: Dietary Advice Before and During Pregnancy
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
US CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy
NHS: Pregnancy vitamins and supplements
NHS: Drinking alcohol while pregnant
FSANZ: Listeria in food
FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people
FSANZ: Mercury in fish
FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating
FSANZ: Raw fish dishes
FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 - Compendium Version VIII, Reg. 9 (warnings/declarations)
FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 - Chapter 2.10 Beverages (Version 3): standards for carbonated and non-carbonated caffeinated beverages
ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: cinnamon
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: fenugreek
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: garlic
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: soy
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: turmeric
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: ginger
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: flaxseed-and-flaxseed-oil
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: pomegranate
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: licorice-root
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: aloe-vera
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: peppermint-oil
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: green-tea
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: bromelain
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: ashwagandha
NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: chamomile

The belief: Raw (unripe) papaya causes miscarriage

No official pregnancy guidance names raw papaya. The only evidence found is a rat study, in which the latex of unripe or semi-ripe papaya caused uterine contractions; its authors said further studies are needed to know the risk for people. This is animal evidence, not an official verdict.^[1,2]

What the animal study said (not official guidance)

However, the unripe or semi-ripe papaya (which contains high concentration of the latex that produces marked uterine contractions) could be unsafe in pregnancy.^[2]
The results of the present study suggest that normal consumption of ripe papaya during pregnancy may not pose any significant danger.^[2]
further studies will be necessary to ascertain the ultimate risk of unripe papaya-semi-ripe papaya consumption during pregnancy in man.^[2]

General rules that still apply

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Fruit and vegetables › Safe to eat: Most fruits and vegetables are safe to eat in pregnancy, as long as they are washed thoroughly first.^[3]
Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly to remove soil, because soil can carry bacteria that may make you ill.^[3]

US FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)

Thoroughly rinse raw fruits and vegetables under running water before eating or preparing them, especially fruits that require peeling or cutting - like cantaloupe and other melons.^[4]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

Riskier Choice: Unwashed fresh fruits and vegetables, including lettuce and other leafy greens^[5]
Safer Choice: Washed vegetables and fruits (washed and then cooked are safest)^[5]

NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy

Aim for at least 5 portions of varied fruit and vegetables a day, which can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced, and always wash fresh produce carefully.^[6]

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

There is no need to avoid any particular food because of mistaken food beliefs or taboos. (p. 18)^[1]

Sources

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed page 18. Paraphrased and cited by printed page; the text is not reproduced.
Adebiyi et al., Br J Nutr 2002 (animal study): Papaya (Carica papaya) consumption is unsafe in pregnancy: fact or fable? Scientific evaluation of a common belief in some parts of Asia using a rat model. · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Short quotation from the published abstract. A study, not official guidance.
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
US FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.