It can make a meal taste delicious - but linger in the mouth far longer than any diner would like.

Now U.S. researchers have revealed which foods can help eliminate the unpleasant odour of garlic, Daily Mail reports. 

They say apples, lemon juice and, less surprisingly, mint were particularly effective.

Green tea, parsley and spinach may also help, according to the study published in the Journal of Food Science.

One of the compounds in garlic - allyl methyl sulphide (AMS) - cannot be broken down during digestion, causing it to be released from the body in the breath and sweat.

Volunteers ate raw garlic and then had the concentration of four bad smelling garlic compounds in their breath measured.

They then ate various foods thought to help banish bad breath to see what effect these would have on the odour readings.

Of all the foods, raw apple was found to be particularly effective.

All of the foods they found to be effective are also rich in compounds called polyphenols, which break down the pungent compounds in garlic. The acidity of lemon juice may also help the deodorising process.

To get the biggest benefit, combine the foods with the garlic where possible.

Milk can ' significantly reduce' concentrations of the chemicals that give garlic its long-lasting smell. A small glass (200ml) can reduce the presence of AMS on the breath by 50 per cent.

Full-fat milk gave better results than skimmed and it was also better if diners drank with their meal, rather than afterwards.