The UK is home to a third of Europe's top food manufacturers in terms of their ­contribution to the economy, new Department of Trade and Industry figures reveal.

Just 22 food producers made it into the DTI's Value Added Scoreboard, which ranks the leading 750 European companies according to sales minus the cost of bought-in goods and services.

Seven of these were from the UK.

Of the 22, Unilever was second only to Switzerland's Nestlé, with Cadbury Schweppes in fourth place, Tate & Lyle in 10th, RHM 12th and Northern Foods 13th.

Unilever and Cadbury Schweppes were also among the best-performing companies when it came to "wealth creating efficiency".

Unilever scored 185% and Cadbury 174% - well above the sector average of 159%.

Other UK companies boasting good efficiency scores were Premier Foods (184%) and Heinz UK (192%).

Suppliers with a heavier dependence on own-label tended to fare less well than those supplying more branded goods.

Northern Foods, which has recently restructured in a bid to reduce its focus on own label, scored 104%, while Uniq racked up 94%.

The report also showed that the UK's beverage industry is the fourth largest sector in the UK in terms of economic contribution, and one of the most effective at wealth creation, with an efficiency rating of 213%.

In retail, the DTI's Value Added Scoreboard showed that Tesco was second only in Europe to Carrefour in terms of economic contribution.

But the UK supermarket had a better wealth creating efficiency score at 147%, compared with the French giant's 139%.

Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Somerfield all recorded wealth efficiency ratings that were lower than the sector average of 129%.