Families face spending an extra £160 a year at major UK supermarkets due to a brand new government scheme.

The UK’s ‘big six’ supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl – have issue a warning to shoppers.

New government eco and anti-obesity schemes could see customers spend an extra £160 each year. The news comes as the British Retail Consortium, which represents all major supermarkets, warned of price hikes in coming months due to rising food, shipping and commodity costs.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) told The Sun: “The Government needs to understand the costs of the changes it is demanding and the impact it would have on the cost of household food and drink shopping.

“The suggestion that we should introduce further food taxes at this time is madness.”

FDF chief, Ian Wright, said: “Food and drink manufacturers are close to breaking point.

“Through the last 16 months our workers have made truly heroic efforts to keep the country fed.

“Yet now they face a combination of challenges which threaten to deliver food price inflation to already hard-pressed households.”

Food and Drink Federation chief scientific officer Kate Halliwell reacted to the world’s first Sugar and Salt Reformulation Tax last weeek.

She said: "These taxes will not drive reformulation. Food and drink manufacturers have been voluntarily lowering fat, salt and sugars in recipes for decades as well as reducing portion size, but it takes time to change much-loved products.

"Furthermore, the Government's proposed advertising ban and promotions restrictions would limit the ways in which companies can let families know about exciting new options.

"It is hard to view the proposals that the taxes raised will pay for additional health plans, with anything but scepticism. The same promise was made ahead of the introduction of the soft drinks industry levy, but was quietly dropped shortly afterwards."