Suppliers tired of health scares and recalls may want to consider upping sticks to Slovenia, where these things are taken much more lightly.

One Lenka Komparova found a mouse foot in a jar of pickles and was shocked to be told it was "completely normal". A health ministry spokeswoman said: "It is completely normal in big factories to have mice wandering around, and yes, every now and then they get caught among the machines and get bottled, seasoned, preserved. They pose no health threat at all. During the preservation process even traces of any salmonella bacteria are eliminated in food. A mice-foot therefore could be classified as a special additive to the pickles."