The government has come under renewed criticism after Prime Minister David Cameron appealed to EU colleagues to reduce 'red tape' including food labelling measures introduced in the wake of the 'horsemeat scandal', just ten months after the scandal resulted in plummeting sales of processed meat and brought international scrutiny on a number of supermarkets and processing companies.

Mr Cameron claimed 'red tape,' including tighter labelling laws aimed at making meat more traceable, throttled UK firms. Following a report by a business taskforce, which concluded that EU regulations are costing businesses billions, the prime minister has arranged a meeting between members of the advisory task force and member state leaders sympathetic to his cause.  The prime minister wants EU leaders meeting this week to commit to reducing 'superfluous' regulation.

In January, Irish food safety officials discovered that a range of burgers labelled as containing 100 percent beef, made in the country for supermarkets in the UK and Ireland, contained large amounts of horsemeat. From then on, evidence of contamination grew and spread across Europe, with a number of products labelled as beef being found to contain meat from other animals.    

Earlier this month, a National Audit Office report warned that the reduction in food samples and inspection risks giving rise to a renewed scandal. FSA figures showed food authenticity testing had been hit by government cuts and trading standards experts speculated that confusion and falling standards could lead more companies to 'cut corners'.

Commenting on the scandal in January, Professor Tim Lang of the UK Centre for Food Policy at London's City University, stated, "Horse meat in beefburgers suggests failings in corporate food governance." He said manufacturers under pressure to produce cheap foods replacing high value products such as beef became such a widespread problem due to 'light touch' regulation.

Professor Lang added that it is fortunate there are no public health implications; however, he warned that next time this may not be the case if costs and standards of food safety frameworks continue to be cut.

Commenting in the wake of the scandal, on findings by a Guardian investigation that turned up alarming reports of adulteration at a Dutch processing plant, shadow environment minister Barry Gardiner said "The extraordinary thing is that because of its clout, industry has been able to commit what appears to be a criminal offence – selling the public horsemeat falsely labelled as beef – and just say they are sorry and didn't know."

Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said on Thursday that Mr Cameron's move was "Disgraceful" and accused the prime minister of caving to the interests of big business.

The business taskforce proposals have also been roundly criticised by trade unions and health and safety organisations, as potential attacks on legislation protecting workers' welfare.