In an unusual incident in Kerala, a bus driver failed a breathalyser test despite not having consumed any alcohol, The Times of India reported. Officials were initially puzzled but later found that jackfruit consumption was mistakenly detected by the device as alcohol. The test was conducted last week at a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) depot in Pathanamthitta. According to reports, the driver had eaten jackfruit shortly before reporting for duty. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said another staff member had brought the fruit from home to share with colleagues. The driver in question had consumed a considerable amount, the official added.
During the routine breathalyser screening, the driver was reportedly shocked when the reading jumped from 0 to 10 within seconds. He insisted he had not been drinking and volunteered for a blood test to prove his innocence. Authorities later discovered that three other staff members also failed the test.
To confirm the cause, the official conducting the test took it first without consuming anything-registering a reading of zero. He then repeated the test after eating jackfruit, at which point the breathalyser showed a positive reading, indicating alcohol presence, the official said.
Authorities have since confirmed that eating jackfruit was leading to false positives in the breathalyser readings.
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How Does A Breathalyser Work?
A breathalyser contains an anode (negatively charged electrode) and a cathode (positively charged electrode). When someone blows into the device, ethanol in the breath reacts with water at the anode and is oxidised to acetic acid.
Simultaneously, oxygen from the air is reduced at the cathode to form water. These reactions generate an electrical current between the electrodes, which is proportional to the ethanol concentration in the breath. Therefore, breathalysers do not directly measure blood alcohol content (BAC) but estimate it from ethanol levels in the breath.
However, breathalysers can sometimes produce inaccurate BAC readings. Elevated levels of acetone in the breath - common among diabetics, individuals on fasting diets, or those following a ketogenic diet - can be mistaken for ethanol.
Why Jackfruit Was Mistaken For Alcohol
Jackfruit is known for its high fermentation potential. When overripe, the fruit may produce small amounts of ethanol due to natural fermentation. In this case, sugars in the ripe jackfruit appear to have interfered with the breathalyser, falsely indicating alcohol in the driver's breath.