Warning for drivers in Spain this summer: How eating a banana could see you fail breathalyser test due to new alcohol limit

Ingesting every day items in Spain could soon result in false positives on police breathalysers.

It comes as the country’s traffic authority (DGT) is set to lower the drink-driving limit to ‘virtually zero’ this summer.

Defending the crackdown, DGT boss Pere Navarro said in a press release this month: ‘Reducing the blood alcohol limit while driving is a moral commitment to those who have lost their lives on the road.’

Under the new law, already approved by Spanish parliament, drivers must not exceed 0.2 grams of alcohol per litre of blood – or 0.1mg/l in exhaled air.

But there are scores of products that contain very small amounts of alcohol that could make drivers test positive despite not having sipped a drink.

The list of items that could set off a breathalyser include some medications and mouthwashes.

Meanwhile, some food generates small amounts of alcohol when they are fermented in the stomach, risking one’s exhaled air of exceeding the 0.1mg/l limit.

Below is the list of products that could trigger a false positive on a breathalyser in Spain from this summer.

Hygiene and personal care products

• Mouthwashes that contain alcohol on their list of ingredients.
• Hand sanitisers (hydroalcoholic gels).
• Perfumes or colognes with a high alcohol content, if used excessively and on areas close to the face.

Foods

• Chocolates containing alcohol, such as cognac or whiskey.
• Sauces containing alcohol (such as wine or brandy sauce, if not cooked enough).
• Desserts containing liquor (tiramisu with amaretto, souffle cakes, etc.).
• Overripe or fermented fruits, such as bananas or partially decomposed pears or grapes.
• Balsamic or wine vinegars, especially if not properly pasteurised.
• ‘Non-alcoholic’ beverages that may contain residual alcohol.
• Alcohol-free beer (may contain up to 0.9% alcohol).
• Water kefir or kombucha, which may contain between 0.5% and 1% alcohol, depending on the fermentation time.
• Homemade natural juices, especially from fruits such as grapes or apples, if they have been slightly fermented.

Medications and Remedies

• Cough syrups, many of which contain ethanol.
• Throat sprays, especially those containing anesthetics or antiseptics containing alcohol.
• Non-alcoholic foods that can ferment in the stomach and raise blood alcohol levels.
• Very fresh bread or sourdough, as live yeast continues to ferment sugars in the stomach.
• Fermented dough, such as that used in homemade pizzas or focaccias.
• Natural yogurt or kefir, especially if it contains added sugars and live cultures.
• Foods rich in simple carbohydrates, along with yeast or natural sugars (such as fruit, honey, or bread), can initiate intestinal fermentation.