In school or company canteens, the food served has already changed a lot in just a few years. And new things are coming!
According to a Ifop survey in partnership with the SNRC, 46% of French people use collective catering services whether at school or in business. The majority have a good image of this catering system (69%). Going to the canteen is in fact mainly seen as “a moment of conviviality” and “a practical and quick solution for lunch”. Even its qualitative and diversified aspect was highlighted by 74% of respondents.
Collective catering establishments have made real efforts in recent years to offer more quality products. This is what the government notes, which sent a report to Parliament on “the application of the supply objectives set for collective catering” by the Égalim law of 2018. This report was revealed by the site Public life. Although it has been proven that collective restaurants purchase more “sustainable and quality products”, the objective of 50% of their purchases devoted to this type of product is far from being achieved: 27.5% in 2022. This figure still represents an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous year. This quantity of sustainable products includes 13.1% organic products.
There are variations depending on the sector: it is in the administration that the rate of supply of quality products is the highest with 35% of “durable and quality products” on average. Conversely, it is at its lowest in health establishments, with only 15%. In education, it is in primary that quality products are most present, with 42.8%. However, it then decreases up to higher education: the average for the school environment is thus at 28.9%.
What will the canteen look like in 2024, 2025 and beyond? For the years to come, the objective is still 50% sustainable and quality products. Organic products should in particular be more incorporated into menus in schools or universities where the goal is to reach 20% of such foods. With the requirement of 60% sustainable and quality products for meat and fish, included from January 1, 2024, these dishes could be served more in canteens. Fair trade products could also arrive, to comply with the new specifications.
This desire to improve the quality of collective catering obviously has a cost. According to the report, the average additional cost would be between thirty and sixty-seven cents per meal, depending on the sector. For schools, for example, the average cost of a meal is around 2 euros, which therefore represents an average increase of 20% in this price.