Implement the EGalim Law in Collective Catering

Carole Sadaka, Regulatory Expert, Helps You Decode the EGalim Law in Collective Catering

To better inform you about the EGalim law in collective catering and to clarify recent regulatory changes, we give the floor to a regulatory expert and sustainable food specialist: Carole Sadaka, who works to improve food quality and supports stakeholders in the agri-food sector, catering services, and agricultural supply chains toward more sustainable and transparent practices.

The Food Law, commonly known as EGalim, was enacted on October 30, 2018, and includes several provisions specifically addressing collective catering.

The State aims to set an example and meet the objectives of providing healthy, high-quality, and sustainable food for all public catering services.

The law came into effect on January 1, 2022.

Which Restaurants Are Covered by the EGalim Law?

All publicly managed collective catering facilities (schools, universities, government offices, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, military, etc.) as well as publicly operated collective restaurants under concession management.

What Are the Main Measures Related to the EGalim Law in Collective Catering?

Promote Sustainable Sourcing 🌱: The most decisive measure! The share of “sustainable” food purchases must be at least 50% (by value), including at least 20% organic products.

Experiment with Vegetarian Menus 🥕🥦: The law introduced the obligation to offer at least one vegetarian menu per week starting November 1, 2019, on an experimental basis for two years. This measure will be evaluated to assess its impact on food waste, meal costs, attendance, etc.

Fight Against Food Waste 🍽️: The law requires a prior diagnosis. A decree and an ordinance are being prepared to define specific provisions. This will notably include obligations for some collective catering facilities to donate to charities and communicate commitments to reducing food waste. More details to come.

Reduce Plastic Use ♻️: Plastic bottles were banned in school catering as of January 1, 2020, and plastic food containers will be banned in school and university catering as well as in childcare facilities for children under 6 years old starting January 1, 2025.

Inform Consumers 📝: Annual disclosure of the share of “sustainable” products on menus becomes mandatory. Local authorities can also make it mandatory to display menu composition. A decree specifies the modalities: information on product quality labels included in menus, but it may also cover place of production, production methods, etc.

Which Products Count Towards the 50% “Sustainable” Products? 🌿

They are defined in Article 24 of the EGalim law as well as by Decree No. 2019-351: organic products or those in conversion for at least 2 years (which must represent at least 20% of purchases by value), fishery products certified by the Ecolabel 🐟, products from the European Union’s outermost regions (for example: bananas from the French Caribbean), products with the Red Label, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), High Environmental Value (HVE), and products labeled “farm-produced,” “farm product,” or “produced on the farm.”

Purchases of fair trade products and those from local food projects (projets alimentaires territoriaux) are not counted in the 50% but are encouraged.

Does the Law Allow Favoring Local or Nearby Products? 👩‍🌾

It’s not that simple!

The Public Procurement Code, which governs purchasing in collective catering, is based on a European directive. This directive does not allow favoring local sourcing.

The EGalim law cannot override this regulation, which is why the concept of “proximity purchasing” is absent from the law. However, the law introduces the notion of environmental externality costs, which could favor products with a lower environmental impact in terms of production methods and transportation. The methodology for calculating these costs remains to be defined.

Moreover, many initiatives show that cooperation 🤝 between different stakeholders at the territorial level—especially within local food projects (projets alimentaires territoriaux)—can enable local producers to successfully participate in public procurement.