UK food manufacturers could be influenced to change their printed labels after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it intends to overhaul the nutritional information provided to consumers.

Packaging is to be changed in a bid to prevent shoppers from being confused and to curb the rise of obesity, with more emphasis placed on calories and ingredients.

Large blocks of colour would be used above the lists of ingredients to indicate the nutrient levels of products, with the changes potentially coming into force by the end of this year.

Serving sizes may also be affected to reflect the fact that family-sized bags of snacks are increasingly being consumed by one individual.

This comes after Sue Dengate from the Food Intolerance Network criticised peelable labels for featuring too many confusing terms in an article for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley has also been lobbied by charities to enforce easy-to-understand food labels in Britain in recent months.

Denny Bros Ltd, 06 September 2011