Major brewers in the US have agreed to include nutrition labels on beer packaging by 2020.

The nutritional label will feature information on calories, carbohydrates and alcohol present in the beer bottle.

Included among the companies that will take part in this initaitve are Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Heineken USA, Constellation Brands, Craft Brew Alliance, and North American Breweries.

"If the industry takes pride in its ingredients it should list them on labels and not simply on the web."

These six companies together hold over 80% of share in terms of volume in the US, according to the Beer Institute.

This voluntary step has, however, been criticised by consumer advocates, who called on the industry to include ingredient information as well.

Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors have stated they will provide nutritional information on website or on cardboard packaging.

Nonprofit organisation Center for Science in the Public Interest president Michael Jacobson was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying: “If the industry takes pride in its ingredients it should list them on labels and not simply on the web.”

Jacobson added that several brewers use artificial colour, flavours, sweeteners and preservatives in their products.

Beer Institute president Jim McGreevy was quoted by the publication as saying that brewers “welcome that debate” over adding of ingredients to products.