Shechitah defence activists stepped up lobbying this week after Euro-MPs raised a fresh threat by voting again for meat labels to state if an animal has not been stunned before slaughter.

Advisers to the Council of Ministers of the EU's 26 member states were due yesterday to begin considering whether to adopt the proposal, which was passed by 34-28 votes last Tuesday at the European Parliament's environment, public health and food safety committee (ENVI).

Last year the council rejected a similar labelling plan from the committee, which had backed it then by a much larger majority of around 50 votes.

Henry Grunwald, chairman of Shechita UK, which is co-ordinating defence of kosher meat, said: "In recent months we have highlighted to a number of MEPs that this amendment does nothing to improve animal welfare, fails to fully inform consumers and is clearly discriminatory by design, and most have now chosen to reject it."