One of the parliamentarians at the hearing last night, NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash, said it was time for labelling to be reviewed again, while Tasmanian Senator, Christine Milne, said the team running the inquiry were against industry self regulating.

"The Trade Practices Act offers me no protection whatsoever," she said, arguing that few average shoppers would know the term "budget meat" meant.

The issue has been brought to a head nationally after Independent MP Richard Torbay tabled leglislation in the NSW Parliament to force consistent and clear meat labelling in that State.

But in a breakthrough for those seeking uniform national meat labelling laws Mr Burke has announced that he is putting the issue on the agenda of the next Primary Industries Ministerial Council Meeting, involving the states and territories ministers.

In response to a question from the Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor, Mr Burke indicated that there was a "need for national coordination".

"Some of the powers on this exist at a state level - some at a federal level - for that reason I have put it on the agenda for the next Ministerial Council," Mr Burke said.

Mr Windsor said the move has the "capacity to broaden the truth in labelling issue from the NSW level to a national level".

"There are claims that under the existing voluntary scheme some retailers sell 'budget' beef as 'prime cuts' and others use the official AUS-code meat labeling language regardless of whether the beef meets the required standard," Mr Windsor said.

"Within the industry misleading labels such as 'export quality' or 'this week's special' are often considered suspicious and a trap for consumers.

"The meat industry needs to have consumer confidence in that what consumers buy and pay a certain price for, is what is shown on the label."