Bengaluru, July 23: A bizarre incident has come to light from Kerala, where a driver of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) allegedly failed a breathalyser test as he was "intoxicated" after consuming jackfruit. It is reported that the alleged "intoxication" was caused by the consumption of ripe jackfruit and not alcohol. The alleged incident occurred on Friday, July 18, at the Pandalam KSRTC depot in Pathanamthitta.

According to reports, the bus driver had consumed jackfruit before joining duty; however, he failed the breathalyser test, which was meant to be a standard procedure. An official said that another driver had brought jackfruit harvests from his house to the KSRTC depot in Pandalam. The driver shared the jackfruit with all his colleagues. The driver who allegedly failed the breathalyser test had consumed a good amount of the fruit. Kerala: Doha-Bound Air India Express Flight IX 375 Returns to Calicut Due to Technical Issue With Cabin AC Mid-Air.

KSRTC Driver from Kottarakkara Tests Positive for Alcohol

After eating the jackfruit, the driver from Kottarakkara went for the breathalyser test and was shocked to see the meter jump from 0 to 10, indicating the presence of alcohol. The driver said that he was not drunk and even asked the authorities to conduct a blood test to confirm this. In addition to the KSRTC driver, three other staff members also failed the test.

In the end, the authorities put the breathalyser under the scanner. The official who conducted the breathalyser test took the assessment with the meter showing zero. However, after consuming jackfruit, the official's meter reading shot up when he underwent the breathalyser test. Post this, officials confirmed that the jackfruit was the unlikely culprit behind the drunk drama. Kerala Shocker: Woman Accuses Man of Touching Her With Sexual Intension and Misbehaving on Moving Bus in Thrissur; Accused Arrested.

Can Jackfruit Really Get You Drunk?

While many tested positive in the breathalyser test, the question is, can this fruit really get one drunk? Theories from pathologists and technicians revealed that overripe jackfruit can undergo mild fermentation, thereby releasing trace ethanol and other volatile organic compounds that can fool breathalysers, reports CNBC.

Experts also said that eating jackfruit at a late and near-fermented stage can make one's breath smell alcoholic. It is also learned that overripe jackfruit, especially very sweet ones, ferment naturally and also contain trace quantities of alcohol. Notably, this process is accelerated by jackfruit's high fructose and glucose content.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2025 03:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).