Takeaway threat - Sweet and sour news

SOMETIMES the truth is just too hard to take.

The confirmation that some Chinese takeaways are the equivalent of a wine glass full of lard is hardly news but it puts crispy duck, spare ribs or a comforting sweet and sour pork in a new and forbidding light.

Britain’s Food Standards Agency warns that the average takeaway contains around 1,500 calories but whether that red light is enough to suppress the particular cravings provoked by the smells of ginger, spring onion and soy sauce remains to be seen.