A discolored banana that appeared to contain blood frightened a Missouri resident who reported it to police Tuesday morning.
The caller told investigators their nephew had eaten a banana that contained what looked like blood and that they believed someone may have injected blood into the fruit, according to KSHB-TV.
A team of technicians descended on a Hy-Vee store in Independence where the banana was purchased to conduct tests.
Referring to the “suspicious banana call,” Independence police said in a social media post that “preliminary tests did not detect the presence of blood in the banana.”
The store removed all bananas as a precaution and worked with investigators on the testing, KSHB reported.
"This incident is still under investigation but the discoloration is believed to be related to a produce-related fungus that can occasionally show up in bananas," police said, according to the news station.
The banana will be sent to a lab for more testing, but it’s possible the discoloration is related to a fungus.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said there are a number of plant diseases that can cause red discoloration on the inside of the fruit, but that none pose a risk to humans.
About the Author
