Under EU rules now coming into force, cuts of meat must label the country of origin - but the question remains how extensive that information should be.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's European spokesperson on food, said: "Consumers want the full picture of the meat supply chain, which is why I am calling for the place of birth, rearing and slaughter to be labelled. Many people want to know whether animals have come from places with good welfare standards, and how far they have been transported, for ethical and environmental reasons.

"We already have these rules in place for beef and I don't see why we shouldn't have the same for pigs, sheep, chicken and other meat."

The European Parliament voted for Labour's resolution today - however, EU governments, including the UK, have already agreed to label just the place of rearing and slaughter.

Glenis Willmott MEP added: "I'm bitterly disappointed David Cameron's government has supported watering down this labelling and denying consumers the full picture. I hope the Parliament's position makes them think again.

"The battle for honest food labelling continues, and I will now focus my efforts on ensuring we get country of origin labelling for meat in processed foods. Consumers want to know where the beef in their lasagne and the chicken in their curry comes from.

"A year on from the horsemeat scandal we should be making some fundamental changes. Making country of origin rules mandatory will force manufacturers to get a better grip on their supply chain, and could help avoid another scandal."