Staff 'banana-proof' areas for Swedish minister's phobia

A Swedish minister's phobia of bananas has reportedly led to government officials asking for rooms to be free of the fruit.

Local media outlet Expressen has quoted from leaked emails it has seen, in which staff working for minister Paulina Brandberg ask for any bananas to be removed before official visits.

Brandberg, the country's gender equality minister, is said to have posted on X in 2020, saying she has the "world's weirdest phobia of bananas". The posts have since been deleted.

Fellow Swedish politician, Teresa Carvalho, also said on X that she too had bananaphobia, and was united with Brandberg on the issue.

Although uncommon, bananaphobia can be triggered by seeing or smelling the fruit and can cause serious symptoms like anxiety and nausea.

Emails reportedly sent in advance of official visits, including to a VIP lunch, ask for "no bananas" to be allowed on certain premises and refer to Brandberg having a "strong allergy" to the fruit.

In a response to Expressen, the Liberal party minister confirmed it was phobia, but described the impact it has on her as "sort of an allergy" and "something I'm getting professional help for".

BBC News has contacted Brandberg's office for comment.

Carvalho, MP and Social Democratic spokesperson for legal policy, said she suffered "from the same ailment" as Brandberg, and told her: "We may have had many tough debates about conditions in working life, but on this issue we stand united against a common enemy."

As with many rare phobias, causal factors for people with bananaphobia can be hard to determine, but experts say it can often stem from childhood.