It's Pancake Day today (Tuesday) and new research reveals that although 20 per cent of eggs in the UK still come from caged hens, 55 per cent of people in the North West who'll be making pancakes say it's important that the ingredients come from higher-welfare farms. 

So, if you choose to eat eggs, how can you ensure they don't come from hens kept in cages?

One way is to check the egg code. In the UK, every 'whole egg' (i.e. sold in its shell) must have a series of numbers and letters stamped on it.

This code might look complicated, but it provides crucial information about the egg's origin and how the hen who laid it was cared for.

Here are RSPCA Assured's top tips for decoding these egg stamps to help you make informed choices when buying eggs this Pancake Day and beyond.

1. Farming method code

The first number indicates how the hen that laid your egg was kept:

• 0 - Organic: these eggs come from hens raised on free-range farms with access to outdoor space and organic feed

• 1 - Free-range: hens live in barns and have access to the outside through openings called 'popholes', allowing them extra space and the opportunity to express their natural behaviours.3

• 2 - Barn: hens have the freedom and space to move around within a building. Just like on free-range farms, perches are provided for roosting, as well as material to dustbathe and scratch in, as well as nest boxes. Some systems are 'multi-tier', providing additional above-ground levels for hens to use

• 3 - Caged: Colony or so-called 'enriched' cages typically house around 60 hens. They limit the hens' ability to move around and perform natural behaviours, causing high stress levels and frustration.

1. Country code

20 per cent of eggs in the UK still come from caged hens it's been revealed. (Photo: RSPCA),

After the farming method number, you'll see a two-letter country code indicating where the eggs were produced. For example:

• UK - United Kingdom

• FR - France

• DE - Germany

• NL - Netherlands

1. Producer code

Following the country code, there's a unique farm identification number that allows you to trace the egg back to its farm of origin. You can look up this code online for more details about the farm and production methods.

1. Best before date

While not part of the egg code, you'll often find a 'best before' date stamped on eggs - often shortened to 'BB' - which is no more than 28 days from when the egg was laid.

1. The RSPCA Assured label

Checking egg codes in a supermarket can be fiddly - especially if it's crowded or you're in a hurry (be careful not to drop them!).

So another way to ensure you're not buying eggs laid by hens kept in cages is to look for the RSPCA Assured logo.

This label on an egg box means the hens lived on free-range farms or in large barns that meet nearly 700 rigorous welfare requirements.

These include access to perches, nest boxes, and enrichment items like straw bales and pecking objects, allowing hens to express their natural behaviours.

RSPCA Assured farms are regularly inspected to ensure the RSPCA's higher welfare standards are met - and hens are never kept in cages.

So, if you choose to eat eggs and want to avoid buying eggs from caged hens, always look for the RSPCA Assured label.

You can find out more on the RSPCA Assured website here

To raise awareness, RSPCA Assured has launched a Pancake Day TV advert, showcasing the journey of an RSPCA Assured egg from farm to fork which airs across the Channel 4 network until today (4th March).