A Swedish minister has drawn attention after it was revealed that she suffers from a rare condition known as banana phobia—an irrational fear of bananas.
According to a report by BBC on Saturday, staff members in the office of Paulina Brandberg, Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality, requested that all bananas be removed from a venue ahead of the minister’s official visit. The request, which was made prior to the event, was revealed through an email published by the Swedish daily Expressen.
The email specifically asked that bananas be removed from all official events the minister would attend, including meals, and also mentioned that Brandberg has a severe allergy to bananas.
Brandberg herself revealed in a 2020 post on X (formerly Twitter) that she has “the world’s strangest banana phobia.” The post has since been deleted.
Once this information became public, Teresa Carvalho, a member of Sweden’s opposition Social Democrats, also disclosed that she suffers from the same condition. Carvalho said, “On this issue, we are united in facing a common foe.”
In an interview with Expressen, Brandberg explained that her banana phobia is “like an allergy” and confirmed she is currently receiving professional help.
Meanwhile, experts cited by the BBC noted that while the exact causes of banana phobia are not fully understood, it is often believed to be a fear that develops in childhood.