Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser is pushing a new conspiracy theory that the Covid-19 vaccine will be placed in salad dressings.

       Michael Flynn, who is a a high-profile supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory, raised the bizarre idea on a right-wing Internet show.

       “Somebody sent me a thing this morning where they’re talking about putting the vaccine in salad dressing,” said Flynn.

       “Have you seen this? I mean it’s — and I’m thinking to myself, this is the Bizarro World, right? This is definitely the Bizarro World ... these people are seriously thinking about how to impose their will on us in our society, and it has to stop.”

       Fact checker Mike Rothschild took to Twitter to explain that Mr Flynn was actually talking about a pilot study that is looking at placing mRNA vaccines in produce, rather than the current vaccines, which require deep freeze storage.

       “There’s nothing here to be outraged about, but there is an opportunity to learn about some cool science that might make vaccine delivery easier and cheaper for the developing world,” he wrote.

       The retired US Army lieutenant general served the White House for the first 22 days of the Trump administration.

       He resigned in February 2017 after reports emerged that he had misled vice president Mike Pence on communications he had with the then Russian ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak.

       He later admitted lying about those conversations and reached a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller to plead guilty to a felony charge of making false statements to the FBI.

       He was then pardoned by Mr Trump, despite the plea agreement.

       In June he told a QAnon conference that a military coup, similar to what occurred in Myanmar, was needed in the US, drawing widespread criticism.