A decree makes this new display compulsory in restaurants. Be careful next time you are going to eat outside.
In a restaurant, many displays are compulsory but you may not pay attention to it. As the official website specifies Entrepreneur.service-public.frthe menu and the card of the day must be visible outside for the duration of the service. It should be specified whether the drinks are included or not and when these menus are available, formulas sometimes being reserved for lunch.
It is also requested to add the mention “homemade” to underline the craft dishes or to report the allergens that can be present in food. For drinks, the type of license for the alcohol service must also be accessible in the restaurant.
A new display obligation has just come into force. Since 2002 already, establishments must inform customers of the origin of beef on the menu or poster. The new decree n ° 2025-141 of February 13, 2025signed by Prime Minister François Bayrou, has extended this obligation. Porcine, sheep and poultry meats are now concerned. The restaurateurs must thus mention the origin of the animal with the country of birth, breeding and slaughter and if they are different, they must specify it. In March 2022, a similar measure had been activated, but it had ended on February 29, 2024. From now on, there is no time limit.
According to the government site Economy.gouv.frthis decree “responds to a request from the French to be more informed about the origin of the products they consume”. They can thus, if they wish, favor the meats produced on French soil, with “health, environmental and ecological guarantees”. The France origin thus becomes for restaurateurs a “guarantee of quality” and a “competitive asset”.
This new rule applies in any type of catering, whether on site, to take away or by delivery, but also for business catering and school canteens. If this indication is absent, the fine can be salty: 1,500 euros for a natural person with up to 3,000 euros in the event of a recurrence or 7,500 euros for a legal person.