Kerala Drivers Fail Alcohol Tests After Eating Ripe Jackfruit
In Kerala, three bus drivers failed a breathalyzer test not because of alcohol—but due to eating too much overripe jackfruit!
We all know that jackfruits are very healthy. But would you believe it if we told you that jackfruit caused some bus drivers to fail a drunk driving test?
Yes, it happened in Kerala!
Three bus drivers from Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) arrived at the Pandalam village bus depot like any normal day. As per the rules, they had to take a breathalyzer test before starting their duty.
To everyone’s shock, one driver’s breathalyzer showed a very high blood alcohol content (BAC) reading of 10. But the driver had not consumed any alcohol at all! He was so shocked that he even offered to take a blood test to prove his innocence.
Soon after, two more drivers also failed the breath test – and they also said they had not drunk any alcohol.
So what had they all done in common?
They had all eaten jackfruit – a sweet and ripe variety called honey jackfruit, which one of the drivers had brought from Kottarakkara to share with his colleagues.
One of the drivers had skipped breakfast and eaten 4–5 pieces of the fruit just before the test. The others also had some.
The depot officials were confused. So, they tried a simple test. First, one of the staff members took the breath test before eating the jackfruit – it showed zero alcohol. Then, he ate the same jackfruit. After a few minutes, he took the test again.
This time, the machine showed a spike in alcohol level!
That proved the real reason: it wasn’t alcohol – it was the jackfruit.
Now, how can jackfruit cause such a result?
Normally, fresh jackfruit has no alcohol. But if the fruit is overripe, especially sweet ones like honey jackfruit, it has a lot of sugar. When overripe, this sugar starts to ferment naturally – a process where yeast and bacteria break down the sugar and create ethanol, which is a type of alcohol.
The amount is very small. Not enough to make a person drunk. But just enough to show a false positive on a breathalyzer.
So, the drivers were not drunk. They just had too much fermented jackfruit before the test.
This surprising case has now made the authorities think again about how accurate breath tests really are, especially when people eat certain foods.
In fact, not only jackfruit – even other things like durian fruit, ripe bananas, or even mouthwash can also give false alcohol results on a breathalyzer.
KSRTC is now checking their rules and may change the process to avoid such confusion in the future.
