New European Union (EU) regulations being brought in relating to printed labels could cost producers thousands of pounds to implement.
This is the claim of Simon Gawler from the food and drink team at legal firm Stephens Scown, who told the Western Morning News it may cost £7,000 per product to change packaging to conform to the new standards.
Under EU rules coming in next month, peelable labels will have to show fat, carbohydrate, energy and salt contents of foods, as well as a range of other information to make it clear to consumers what they are buying.
Mr Gawler commented: "It's fair to say that for some businesses in the south-west, it may be a big outlay in terms of increased packaging costs - some of which may well be passed on to the shopper."
However, he admitted that it should make things easier for shoppers in the long term.
Manufacturers may find it more economical to use bespoke packaging such as booklet labels made by Fix-a-Form, which can display all the extra information without having to alter existing packaging.
Denny Bros Ltd, 21 October 2011
