Steer Clear of Sausages in Vilnius

While sausages arent exactly famed for their health promoting properties, you really might want to give them a wide berth if youre in Lithuania anytime soon, after one variety has been condemned by a food watchdog.

Middle Europe is renown for its love of the banger - plump, velvety, coils of meat served with big dollops of ketchup and mustard. But its this little bugger* that has been found to contain additive E250 that was flagged up by the countrys State Food Service as being harmful once the meat is cooked. The additive is used to brighten the colour of meat but its also been found to have a link to causing lung disease.

The scary sausages should have been removed from the countrys shelves straight away, but with a nod to the good old fashioned days of Soviet bureaucratic wrangling, the bangers are staying put , at least until the end of the year, because the three agencies responsible for sorting out this pigs ear of a mess have said they are waiting for each other to act.

So if youre likely to be staggering the streets of Vilnius after a few jars and happen to get the munchies, play safe and avoid those hot doggie stands.

*The sausages to avoid are the very brightly coloured red ones!