Four health organisations in the UK have called for the label printing on food to be done in such a way that the nutritional information is much clearer.

Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation, the Children's Food Campaign and Which? have all written to government health secretary Andrew Lansley in a bid to encourage the government to enforce easy-to-understand food labels.

Ahead of an EU vote on the subject on July 5th 2011, they have insisted that front-of-pack printed labels featuring information on fat, sugar, salt and energy levels should be mandatory so people can see exactly what is in the food they buy.

Diabetes UK's Stella Valerkou said avoiding being overweight reduces the risk of developing serious conditions such as diabetes and cancer.

"Independent research shows that consumers value information about these nutrients on front of the pack," she added.

Earlier this week, the US Food and Drug Administration warned shoppers that they must not ignore the peelable labels featuring cooking instructions for foods, as this could pose a health risk.

Denny Bros Ltd, 27 May 2011