EGALIM 2 Law: Key Points Overview

Key dates of the EGalim law

30/10/2018: Development of fair trade products - expansion of home-made products

21/10/2019: Institutions should have carried out a diagnostic and an approach to fight against food waste, with a promise of donation

1/11/2019: Start of the vegetarian menu experiment

Early January 2020: Informing users about the implementation of sustainable and quality products

2021: End of the experiment

From 1st January 2022: Have at least 50% quality and sustainable products, including 20% organic products in catering (by value)

By 2025: Ban on disposable food containers for reheating, meal services in university, school, and nursery catering.

Objective of the EGALIM law

This law targets non-residential collective catering.

In cafeterias: Goal of a vegetarian menu once a week to diversify protein sources.

In collective catering, here are the obligations:

• Have 20% organic products, and 30% quality and sustainable products (IGP, AOC, red label, high environmental value farm) in collective catering
• An obligation to inform users and provide nutritional information
• Combat food waste by setting up a donation agreement with associations
• Reduction and substitution of plastic containers

These objectives meet strong consumer expectations as 75% of French people* want organic products in school catering, at work, in hospitals, or retirement homes. Education is a key element to achieve this. Moreover, since January 2022, a decree has been published indicating the origin of meat (pork, poultry, lamb, sheep) served in all out-of-home catering (cafeterias, restaurants, company restaurants), as has been the case for beef since 2002. This decree meets consumers' demands for more transparency and traceability regarding the origin of meal ingredients.

Furthermore, these significant objectives aim to develop French organic farming. In 2019, only 5% were offering organic menus. How to more broadly meet this challenge? Changing menus, sourcing products, informing users, is not improvised and requires support to acculturate teams and remove barriers.

Valuing the work of collective kitchen teams through training

Reactiv Formation, a training organization in the food sector for over 30 years, offers inter/intra-company courses including the "understanding the EGALIM law to better apply it" course.

This course brings together 8/10 head chefs for 3 days to inform and train on this new EGalim law.

Fully aware of the industry's challenges, Reactiv Formation supports the implementation of the law to achieve a rise in quality.

Reactiv Formation advises on the implementation of new culinary techniques, homemade preparation, the adoption of new culinary techniques, and the control of food costs. With participants, Reactiv helps evolve the menu development process and implements technical sheets (recipes), followed by organization: menu writing, ordering, assistance in writing the document that the institution must submit to state agencies (Ministry of Health) to validate the implementation of the EGalim law.

This support meets the objectives of institutions and communities wishing to have a greater impact on:

• Consumer health by offering healthier and safer seasonal and quality products.
• Territorial dynamism by promoting the local offer, short and fair circuits, and paying the right price to local producers.
• The environment, through more respectful food choices.

To learn more about EGalim 2 and fair remuneration for farmers: https://agriculture.gouv.fr/infographie-loi-egalim-2-agir-pour-la-juste-remuneration-des-agriculteurs

Want to incorporate more "homemade" into your catering? Contact Reactiv Formation to support you in this project.

*2020 consumption barometer - spirit Insight for Agence BIO