Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King will urge the Government to dedicate more resources to educating consumers about healthier lifestyles in a speech today.

Speaking at the annual Campden lecture for the food industry, King will say that the Government should base future regulations on “sound science and actual evidence” rather than responses to headlines. He will also argue that the food industry has already done much voluntarily to help consumers eat more healthily and cut obesity levels.

“To a large extent, the food industry has always been something of a lightning conductor for some of the issues facing society and the economy,” King will say. “This has led, and may still lead, to some well-intentioned but ultimately flawed regulation.”

King will argue that a combination of regulations for the food industry – ranging from reducing portion sizes to clearer labelling about nutrition – and consumer pressure has put ethical and health issues firmly on corporate agendas.

“Today’s consumers are probably better informed than at any time,” he will say. “The products they buy give information about the nutrients and other ingredients, including those to which they may be allergic, use-by and best-before dates, place of origin and contact details for the manufacturer.”

Earlier this year, the Government launched a strategy to combat the growing problem of obesity.

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