The chief executive of Mondelez International has raised concerns over the company's future investment plans in the UK, citing what he described as a "volatile" regulatory environment and frequent changes to food and drink policy.
Dirk Van de Put, chief executive of the confectionery giant behind brands including Cadbury, Oreo and Toblerone, said the UK's evolving approach to nutrition and health regulations had created uncertainty for businesses operating in the sector.
He said, "'We've got 100 different targets relating to nutrition… The UK is very important to us, it's our second biggest country so I cannot neglect it, but it makes you doubt a little bit.
"How much should we invest in the UK if this is the environment we have to deal with?
"It's weird to me that a sector that represents 25 per cent [of the country's industrial output] is not included. That has consequences – you don't get energy subsidies, don't get R&D subsidies and so on. It doesn't make sense."
Van de Put said Mondelez, which also owns the Oreo and Toblerone brands, had invested £40 million into reformulating its products, which is now "down the drain" following the recent changes made to regulation.
He also criticised Labour for its failure to include the food and drink industry in its industrial strategy, despite employing over 500,000 people.
Asked by the BBC if the UK would lose out on investment because of Government policy, Van de Put said: "Yes. We will keep it in mind.
"I think we've been good stewards of Cadbury… we have a lot of local production, we export a lot, we have a good footprint here. But if we have to make future decisions for Europe, where we put the next plant, it might not be [in the UK] because of those reasons."