Five leading members of the Food & Drink Federation -- Nestle, Danone, Kellogg's, Kraft and PepsiCo -- have said that from spring, labels will be put on the front of packs containing information not only about fat, sugar and salt content, but also how much they contribute to official guideline daily amounts.
The move will affect a number of well-known brands including Dairylea, Kit Kat and Walkers Crisps.
Melanie Leech, Food & Drink Federation director general, said: "There is clear agreement across industry that GDAs are the best way to provide consumers with useful information about their food.
"It is welcome news that several Food & Drink Federation member companies are now building on this work by also providing this type of information more prominently on packaging."
However, Ed Mayo, National Consumer Council chief executive, has criticised the move, saying it is a "cynical move to derail" plans by the Food Standards Agency, which is drawing up its own guidelines that are set to be far tougher.
This is likely to include front-of-pack labelling commitments and one standard labelling system, which Mayo argues would be less confusing for consumers.
Mayo said: "The decision by these food companies to go their own way is disappointing. It will cause confusion for consumers. People need the entire food industry, manufacturers and retailers, to adopt a single consistent labelling scheme to help make healthy choices, easy choices."
In a separate move earlier this month, two members of the Biscuit, Cake & Confectionery Association -- Cadbury and MasterFoods -- revealed plans to introduce their own labelling scheme in the summer under a newly launched campaign called "Be treat wise".
This will include a "Be treat wise" slogan on front of packs directing consumers to GDA information on the back.
Simon Baldry, Cadbury Trebor Basset managing director, said: "With this initiative we are saying enjoy our products and enjoy them sensibly in the context of everything we eat and do."
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