Meat-origin labeling in restaurants: French controls switched to targeted mode

The French decree of 26 January 2022 extended the obligation to display the origin of meats to all species (bovine, porcine, ovine, poultry, equine), for all forms of commercial and collective catering. Four years on, application remains heterogeneous: the DGCCRF published its 2024 review showing an average compliance rate of 62% on targeted controls, with strong gaps between chains (85%) and independents (44%).

What the regulation requires

The display must indicate the country of birth, raising and slaughter of the animal, for each dish containing meat as the main ingredient. For ground meat and preparations, EU/non-EU origin can suffice if fine traceability isn't available. The display must be visible to the consumer before ordering — on the menu, on a sign, or on the digital menu.

Origin can change from one service to another: a restaurateur switching from a French to a Belgian supplier mid-week must update the display. This dynamic update is what trips up most menus. Menus printed at the start of the season quickly become obsolete; chalkboards are more flexible but often forgotten.

The 2026 shift: from random to targeted controls

Until 2024, the DGCCRF inspected on a random territorial sample. Since 2025, the strategy flipped: controls are now targeted by crossing three sources — consumer reports (Signal Conso), supplier-declaration / restaurant-purchase imbalances, and online-menu anomalies (booking sites, delivery platforms).

The result: in 2025, of 4,200 controls, 38% found a breach versus 18% in 2023. Sanctions range from warning (60% of cases) to administrative fine (up to €1,500 for a natural person, €7,500 for a legal entity, per offense). Hidden cost: judgment publication ("name & shame") provided by law for repeat offenses.

The blind spots that cause problems

Stocks, sauces, beef bouillon

Origin must be displayed for main ingredients. But where does "main" stop? A béarnaise sauce doesn't need to bear the mention. A beef bouillon structuring a consommé does. The DGCCRF positioned itself in 2024: any meat ingredient that significantly contributes to the dish's flavor is concerned. This now includes bouillons, fonds, jus.

Origin mixing

When a dish contains two meats (e.g. shepherd's pie with bovine ground meat + sausage), each meat's origin must be displayed. When the same dish uses several lots of different origins (Monday French, Thursday Spanish), this must be documented, and the display must reflect the served lot. On this point, paper-menu vendors have no answer.

Collective catering under contract

School canteens, nursing homes, corporate restaurants are also concerned. Operators (Sodexo, Elior, Compass, Restalliance) have structured their systems; smaller structures — small local authorities, administrative restaurants — lag behind. Égalim 2 compliance in collective catering is becoming a public-tender award criterion.

What Égalim 3 adds

The Égalim 3 law (March 2023) reinforced two devices. First, contractualization between producers and buyers: contracts must provide a price covering production costs. For restaurants, this comes through supplier invoices, which must now mention the cost indicators used to set the price. Restaurants buying directly from farmers (short circuits) must integrate this data.

Second, displaying the "French share" in supply is encouraged (voluntary today, but pushed as mandatory for 2027 in the law under discussion). For restaurateurs who use it as a commercial argument, the topic is: how do I document over time that my "80% France" is true, and how do I prove it under audit.