.jpg "Planning a durian binge? Maybe get a designated driver, just in case. u00e2u20acu201d Pear Video screenshot")
PETALING JAYA, May 2 — The durian may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for a man in China it proved intoxicating — at least after a breathalyser test which he took and failed, after consuming ‘the world's "stinkiest" fruit.
Chinese video website Pear Video reported the incident after a motorist in China's Jiansu province was pulled over and failed a breathalyser test, which he protested and attributed to having just eaten durian.
It was reported that a blood test appeared to prove him right, confirming there was no alcohol in his system.
The website duly warned drivers to avoid durians if they planned to drive, and said lychees and some mouthwash brands could also return a false reading.
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In the April 29 report, Pear Video showed a police officer undergoing a breathalyser test after eating some of the stinky fruit, and confirmed that his alcohol level immediately after eating durian was 36mg per 100ml, above China's legal blood-alcohol concentration limit for driving, which is 0.02 per cent (about 20ml per 100ml).
Immediate tests failed for police officer Yu Pengxiang, but proved negative after a second test, three minutes later.
Pear Video's report was followed by thousands of comments on Chinese social media with some calling for improvements in the carrying out of breathalyser tests.
This is not the first time that breathalysers have come under scrutiny for showing positive results for non-alcoholic products.
In January, an Australian lorry driver went viral with a video showing the effect of eating a hot cross bun raised his blood-alcohol reading to 0.018 immediately after.
Many other foods have been attributed to contributing to false readings of breathalyser tests to varying degrees, including orange juice, white bread, hot sauce, vanilla extract, sugarless gum and even ripe fruit amongst many others.
