A man in China has reportedly failed an on-the-spot breathalyzer test after eating durian fruit, known as the world's stinkiest fruit.

According to Chinese video website Pear Video, an unnamed man in Rudong county, in the eastern province of Jiangsu, was pulled over by the police on 17 April for suspected drink-driving, the BBC reports.

He failed his breathalyzer test, but was filmed by police protesting: "I've just eaten durian fruit!"

A follow-up blood test proved that there was no alcohol in his system, putting the man in the clear. But it also prompted local police to subsequently carry out tests themselves, to check the legitimacy of the man's claims, BBC News reported.

In a 29 April investigation, Pear Video showed a police officer being breathalyzed after eating some of the stinky fruit, and confirmed that his alcohol level directly after eating durian was 36mg per 100ml.

The legal limit for blood alcohol concentration in China is 0.02% - roughly 20mg per 100ml.

Three minutes after taking the test, police officer Yu Pengxiang was retested and the breathalyzer showed a negative result.

Pear Video subsequently warned users against eating the fruit while driving, along with other products that might show a positive result, including certain brands of mouthwash and lychee.

One year ago, an Australian university library was recently evacuated amid fears of a major gas leak, but the source of the smell later turned out to be durian fruit.

And in November two tons of durian had to be removed from the cargo hold of a plane in Indonesia after passengers complained about the stench.