Ripe jackfruit tricks breathalyser, nearly lands Kerala bus drivers in trouble

Three Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus drivers at the Pandalam depot in Pathanamthitta district were nearly booked for drunk driving last week, not because of alcohol—but due to a ripe jackfruit.

Also Read: Karnataka: Young man drinks five bottles of alcohol to win Rs 10,000 bet amount, dies

During a routine pre-shift breathalyser test, all three drivers recorded alcohol levels above the legal limit. Surprised by the results and confident they hadn’t consumed any liquor, the drivers insisted on their sobriety. With no alcohol in sight, officials began probing for other possible causes.

Attention soon turned to a particularly strong-smelling jackfruit, brought in that morning by one of the drivers from Kottarakara in Kollam district. Suspecting it might have played a role, officials conducted a follow-up test: a driver who had earlier tested negative was asked to eat a few pieces of the jackfruit. Soon after, the breathalyser showed a positive reading again.

The culprit was clear. The overripe jackfruit’s fermented sugars had emitted alcohol-like vapours that affected the breathalyser, falsely flagging the drivers as intoxicated. Fortunately, the mishap was resolved before any disciplinary action was taken, sparing the drivers from unfair penalties.

The incident has sparked discussion about environmental interference in breathalyser accuracy and the unexpected power of natural fermentation.