A new action plan aimed at boosting the export of food and drinks form the UK has been launched in order to generate another £500 million for the UK economy.

The Food and drink segment is already the largest manufacturing sector in the UK with a turnover of more than £90 billion a year and it employs about 15 per cent of the overall workforce or about 400,000 workers in the country. The data showed that about 90 per cent of the small firms do not export their products while some export only to other European countries.

Owen Paterson, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced the new action plan at the world's biggest food and drink fair, Anuga, in Germany.

Leading chef Tom Aikens has also launched the Government's Food is Great marketing campaign to boost the profile of British food and drink producers around the world. The campaing being organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will showcase UK food and drink industry to markets including Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao, China, the United States and Europe.