The Consumers' Association has today called on food manufacturers to make their product labels more honest and clearer.

The consumers body also challenged the Food Standards Agency to encourage companies to implement better labelling guidelines, and to start to expose bad practice.

Forum Response: Consumers' AssociationSheila McKechnie, director of the Consumers' Association, told ePolitix.com: "Some manufacturers are getting away with seriously misleading descriptions about the contents of their food products. They must stop trying to fool consumers and be more honest about their goods.

"The Food Standards Agency and the EU have a part to play in regulating the producers, but consumers' own confidence in the food industry would increase if manufacturers were simply more honest about what is in the food we eat."

Forum Response: Food and Drink Federation

Martin Paterson, deputy director general of the Food and Drink Federation, told ePolitix.com: "UK food and drink manufacturers rely on the loyalty and trust of their customers and in no way set out to mislead.

"They do have to instead try to get across as much information to consumers on what can sometimes be a very small space. Industry agrees that marketing claims and labelling should be truthful and not misleading. The 1990 Food Safety Act already protects consumers from claims that fail this test.

"Some manufacturers have produced lower fat versions of their standard products to meet consumer demand. These are not marketed as "diet products" but in fact provide consumers with a wider variety of foods from which to make informed dietary choices.

"However, if a consumer is concerned about the information given on food packaging, we want to know about it. Manufacturers give on-pack website addresses and care line numbers.

"The food industry is already working with the Food Standards Agency to improve food labelling as part of the Agency's Food Labelling Action Plan."