Food Labeling in Food Service: Obligations, Practices and Stakes for Restaurateurs
Hygiene & Compliance · November 4, 2025 · By Alex Dondelinger · 4 min read
Food labeling doesn’t only concern products sold in supermarkets. In food service, it is a duty to inform the consumer and a guarantee of transparency. Every restaurateur must be able to state precisely the origin, composition and allergens present in their dishes.
Beyond the regulatory side, clear, compliant labeling strengthens customer trust, limits the risk of disputes and helps build the brand. It is also an essential component of health and commercial compliance.
The Regulatory Framework in Force
The legal foundation is European Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, known as the INCO regulation (the EU Food Information to Consumers rules), which governs consumer information on foodstuffs.
In France, this regulation is supplemented by several decrees of the Consumer Code (Code de la consommation), specifying display and traceability requirements.
The basic principle is fair dealing: labeling must never mislead the consumer about the nature, composition or origin of the product. Any omission or inaccuracy can be considered a misleading practice and result in administrative or financial penalties.
The Mandatory Information to Comply With
Sales Name
The product name must be clear, accurate and not misleading. For example, a “fruit juice” is not a “nectar”.
List of Ingredients
Ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight, including additives and flavorings. Allergens must be clearly highlighted.
Quantity and Date
State the net quantity, the unit of measurement, and the DLC (use-by date) or the DDM (best-before date, i.e. date of minimum durability).
Product Origin
Mandatory for certain foodstuffs (meat, fish, fruit, oils, honey…) where the origin influences the consumer’s perception.
Nutrition Declaration
Mandatory for prepackaged products: state the energy value (kJ/kcal), protein, carbohydrates, fat and salt per 100 g or 100 ml.
Legibility and Format
The information must be visible and legible: minimum character height of 1.2 mm, indelible printing and sufficient contrast.
Rules Specific to Food Service
A restaurant does not always sell prepackaged products, but it is still subject to information obligations.
Allergens are the main point of vigilance. The 14 major allergens (gluten, eggs, milk, peanuts, crustaceans, etc.) must be flagged for each dish, either directly on the menu or via a document accessible to the customer.
Since 2022, restaurateurs must also state the origin of the meats (beef, pork, poultry, mutton) used in their preparations, whether on the menu, on a board or on a visible display.
Dish names must be fair: you cannot say “homemade” (“fait maison”) if an essential element of the dish is not prepared on site.
Finally, the consistency between displayed prices and invoiced prices is checked by the DGCCRF (the French consumer protection and fraud control authority): each dish must show its price including VAT (TTC), both inside and outside the restaurant.
Regulated Claims and Optional Statements
Many statements appeal to customers: “no preservatives”, “zero sugar”, “100% natural”.
Yet their use is strictly regulated. These claims may only be used if they are scientifically verifiable and do not risk misleading the consumer.
The same goes for nutrition and health claims (“high in fiber”, “source of calcium”, etc.), which must meet precise thresholds set by European regulations.
The Nutri-Score remains optional but is increasingly valued. It contributes to transparency without replacing the mandatory information.
Products containing or derived from GMOs, for their part, must carry a specific statement.
Inspections and the Risks of Non-Compliance
Inspections are carried out by the DGCCRF and the veterinary services.
A labeling error, a missing allergen or misleading information can lead to an administrative fine, or even a temporary closure in case of repeat offenses.
Financial penalties can reach several thousand euros depending on the seriousness and nature of the fraud.
Most often, problems stem from information that hasn’t been updated or from confusion between actual recipes and recipe cards.
Good internal traceability: up-to-date recipe cards, accurate stock counts, supplier tracking; remains the best guarantee of compliance.
Setting Up Compliant, Modern Labeling
Centralize Product Data
Bring all the information together in a single tool: ingredients, allergens, suppliers, origins and nutritional values. This ensures consistency between the recipe cards and the restaurant’s menu.
Update Recipe Cards
Update recipe cards whenever an ingredient or a supplier changes. Thanks to automatic recognition (OCR), Fullsoon updates prices and composition in real time.
Automate the Display of Information
Automatically generate labeling sheets and legal statements on your paper or digital menus. QR codes can be used to display composition and allergens.
Train Staff
Raise your teams’ awareness of the importance of legal statements and traceability. Every server should be able to answer questions about allergens and origins accurately.
Check and Update Regularly
Check every month that product sheets, menus and displayed information are consistent. Regular follow-up avoids errors and ensures compliance in the event of a DGCCRF inspection.
Key Takeaway
Labeling is both a legal obligation and a tool for trust.
It protects the consumer, secures the restaurateur and showcases culinary know-how.
To be compliant, you must inform without omission, display without ambiguity and update the data regularly.
Restaurateurs who rely on digital tools like Fullsoon gain in reliability, productivity and transparency, while meeting the requirements of European and French regulations.