Look for higher welfare eggs this Pancake Day, says local MP

Nutella, lemon and sugar, or honey? That’s one question people are asking this pancake day. But as Shrove Tuesday flips into view, local MP and long-standing animal welfare champion Alex Mayer is encouraging everyone to ask another question too - are the eggs in my pancake cruelty free?

While the majority of whole eggs sold in UK supermarkets are now cage-free, shockingly, one in five hens still spend their lives cramped in cages, unable to flap their wings properly, stretch, or perform natural behaviours. A new RSPCA survey shows that 60% of people said it's important to them that pancake ingredients come from higher-welfare farms.

If you are buying eggs for Pancake Day, to check where your eggs come from, look at the code printed on the shell. When the first character is O it is an organic egg; 1 means Free-range; 2 means Barn; and 3 means Caged.

Ms Mayer has called on the government to phase out the use of cages. Scotland is currently consulting on phasing out enriched cages, and many other European countries have already legislated to end enriched cages.

Alex Mayer MP said: “Nutella is my choice but so are pancakes made from eggs laid by happy hens.

Many people would be horrified to know that nearly one in five of UK eggs still come from hens stuck in cages - with each bird getting about as much space as the size of a pancake.

“We are a nation of animal lovers and study after study shows that people want to make ethical food choices. So this Pancake Day, I urge everyone to check the code, pick cage-free, and help make sure every hen gets a fairer crack at life.”