This vote represents an important step forward for the industry, following seven years of lobbying in the UK and Europe for mandatory COOL.

NFU Scotland will be using the momentum of this positive vote to keep up the pressure for mandatory labelling to be extended to include processed meat and dairy products, through its dedicated office in Brussels.

NFU Scotland’s President, Nigel Miller, said: "Today’s vote represents another important step in our lobbying efforts to ensure customers know exactly where their food is coming from, allowing them to make informed choices about their fresh meat purchases.

"Mandatory COOL gives consumers the opportunity to choose food that supports high quality and high welfare standards set by farmers in the UK, and it is certainly good news for all consumers who may feel they have been mislead in the past as to the origins of their food."

Feasibility studies on mandatory origin labels are to follow for processed meats within two years, and for milk, milk used as an ingredient, unprocessed foods, single ingredient products and ingredients representing more than 50 per cent of a food within three years.

Mr Miller added: "It is disappointing that the fight for mandatory COOL for processed food and dairy products must go on, and it is incredibly frustrating that these studies have been given another 2-3 years to be carried out. I hope that the result of these Commission studies will be that these products are included in mandatory COOL regulations as soon as possible."