Under new rules proposed by the European Commission all pre-packaged food would have to carry clear nutritional information on the front of the package.
The move is designed to tackle obesity across the EU.
Products would have to show clear guidelines on the most important information and ensure uniformity across all 27 member states.
The basic information would be mandatory, although national goverments and producers could decide themselves how it should be presented so long as it was of a certain size.
The proposals would require that that the energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates - with specific reference to sugars - and salt content per 100ml/g or per portion be clearly labelled on the front of the packaging.
The Commission says that the complexity and amount of information provided on products to date have left consumers confused.
The new rules would require that the information be legible, clear and accurate and that any voluntary information added by the manufacturer should not detract from the mandatory information, the Commission says.
Wine, beer and spirits have been exempted from the proposal.
Wine is already subject to a complex labelling system, and the Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, said more time was needed to see how a future labelling system might apply to beer and spirits.
It is understood the alcohol industry lobbied strongly for an exemption.
The European food and drinks body has criticised the proposal.
The CIAA says its members already have a scheme in place since 2006 and one which will be fully complied with by the end of 2009.
It adds that the Commission's proposal is premature because more consumer research is needed to establish if shoppers are reassured and informed by the new voluntary labels.
The CIAA says regulation is the wrong approach and that having six mandatory elements on the front is just adding to the information overload, and that their five elements - which does not include carbohydrates - is much clearer and simpler.
