Food hygiene and HACCP in a French restaurant: the rules and the daily routine

What does a restaurant in France need to do to meet hygiene rules?

HACCP stands for “hazard analysis and critical control points”. Behind the acronym is a simple idea: identify the moments when food can become dangerous (wrong temperature, contamination, undercooking), and put a check in place at each of those moments.

This guide is part of our guide How to run a restaurant. It covers the general rules in France; your local consumer protection directorate (DDPP) remains the body to consult about your own case.

Is hygiene training compulsory?

Two obligations work together.

All staff who handle food

EU Regulation 852/2004 requires anyone who handles food to be supervised and to have hygiene instructions or training suited to their job. This training can be done in-house: a chef who explains the kitchen rules to a new commis fulfils the obligation, as long as it really happens.

The specific training for commercial catering

In France, traditional restaurants, cafeterias, self-service restaurants and fast-food outlets must also have at least one person on staff who has taken the specific food hygiene training, presented by the Ministry of Agriculture as a 14-hour course. Key points:

• one trained person per establishment is enough, and they must be able to prove it;
• the training is given by a body approved by the regional prefect, listed by the regional agriculture directorate (DRAAF);
• no renewal is required;
• exempt are people with 3 years’ experience as manager or operator of a food business, or a qualification on the official list (issued after 1 January 2006).

The ministry also states that at least one person in the business must be able to show training in HACCP principles. Keep the certificate or diploma on the premises: it can be requested during an inspection.

Which declaration is needed before opening?

A restaurant in France that prepares or sells food containing products of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, dairy…) must declare its activity before opening. The form is cerfa 13984*06, “declaration of handling of food of animal origin”, sent to the DDPP or DDETSPP of your département. It can also be done online.

The declaration must be made again when the operator, address or activity changes. Remember this if you take over an existing restaurant: the previous owner’s declaration does not cover you.

Keep the acknowledgement of receipt with your hygiene documents.

What is the food safety plan (PMS)?

The food safety plan (plan de maîtrise sanitaire, PMS) is the file that describes how your restaurant keeps what it serves safe. It does not need to be thick: above all, it must match what you actually do in the kitchen. It is organised in three blocks.

To avoid starting from scratch, use the good hygiene practice guide (GBPH) for restaurants, validated by the authorities, and adapt it to your kitchen. Your training provider or the DDPP can point you in the right direction.

Which temperatures apply, and how do you record them?

In France, the decree (arrêté) of 21 December 2009 sets storage temperatures for food. A few benchmarks for sale directly to consumers:

For other products, follow the temperature on the label and in your good practice guide.

Cooling and reheating

For institutional catering, the decree requires that a dish cooked in advance does not stay more than 2 hours between +63 °C and +10 °C while cooling, then is kept between 0 and +3 °C; and that when reheated, it does not stay more than one hour between +10 °C and the serving temperature of at least +63 °C. These are good benchmarks for a restaurant; your food safety plan sets the ones you apply. Fast cooling usually requires a blast chiller.

Temperature log

Temperature log: week of [date]

Equipment: [walk-in fridge / pass fridge / freezer…], limit: [temperature set in your plan]

Monday morning: [__ °C], evening: [__ °C], initials: [ ]

Tuesday morning: [__ °C], evening: [__ °C], initials: [ ]

[…]

Problem found: [date, temperature, products affected]

Action taken: [products thrown away / moved, repairer called…], initials: [ ]

A log showing a problem followed by an action is worth more than a perfect log filled in in advance: it proves the check is real.

How do you handle traceability and labelling in the kitchen?

Traceability means being able to say where a product came from and to whom you served it, if a problem arises. In a restaurant, it comes down to simple habits:

• check every delivery: temperature of fresh products, state of packaging, dates;
• keep the labels or delivery notes of products used, for example stuck in a notebook or photographed;
• label every homemade preparation: name, date made, use-by date you have set;
• store on a “first in, first out” basis;
• record products thrown away and why.

For dishes prepared in advance and kept chilled, the decree sets, for institutional catering, a use-by date no later than the third day after production, unless a shelf-life study shows otherwise. Use this as a benchmark and write your own rule in your food safety plan.

Do not forget allergens: you must be able to tell a customer which allergens each dish contains. See our allergen matrix template. Good stock management also helps limit expired products: see restaurant inventory management.

How does a hygiene inspection work, and what is Alim’confiance?

Inspections are carried out by French state services (DDPP or DDETSPP), usually without notice. The inspector looks at the premises, equipment, the team’s practices and documents: training certificate, food safety plan, temperature logs, traceability.

Since 2017, inspection results have been published on Alim’confiance, open to everyone. Each inspected establishment receives one of these four levels:

You can display your result in your window with the notice provided by the state services. It is not compulsory, but a good level reassures customers.

Which daily hygiene routine should you set up?

The most effective tool is a short checklist, posted in the kitchen, that everyone knows.

• At opening: temperature readings, date checks, clean uniform, hands washed.
• At each delivery: checks on receipt, immediate cold storage, labels kept.
• During service: separate boards and utensils for raw and cooked, hand washing between tasks, hot dishes kept hot.
• After service: fast cooling of preparations, labelling, cleaning and disinfection according to the cleaning schedule.
• Every week: deep cleaning (cold room, hoods), check pest traps, sort the traceability file.

Train every newcomer in this routine on their first day: see our guide to hiring and welcoming restaurant staff.

The restaurant owner’s guide

Open, run, grow: each stage has its full guide and detailed guides, with their reading time.

This guide for your trade

• Restaurants
• Bakeries
• Bars

Go further

• How to run a restaurant: the complete guide
• Allergen matrix template
• Restaurant inventory management
• How to hire restaurant staff
• More Google reviews for a restaurant