'Fait Maison' Labels Now Compulsory in Provence
Restaurants throughout France must now identify which dishes are 'fait maison'
All dishes on the menu must now be marked with the symbol to show consumers which dishes have been created in house from scratch with fresh of frozen ingredients.
The regulations to bring in the 'Faits Maison' label have been a long time coming, from the announcement in August 2013 to the voluntary introduction in July 2014. There has been some controversy over the introduction of such a regulation, but it has been implemented in order to provide a guarantee to consumers, and rewarding and encouraging those chefs who have created a menu without the use of industry prepared food. It is hoped that this might help France in retaining its title as the culinary capital of the world...
Pre-made items such as bread, cheese and wine are to be accepted in 'fait maison' dishes, along with pasta, however, if a dish contains potatoes then it cannot be validated...an issue perhaps more in the Alpine regions of France where dishes such as tartiflette are popular and normally 'home-made' specialities in any mountain restaurant. This rule has been created to stop the fast food industry using the label on items such as French fries, thus protecting restaurants.
Restaurateurs will now face a fine if they do not comply with the new regulations, however we are unsure at the moment how this will be policed and how strictly the law will be enforced. Make sure you look for the logo next time you are eating out at your favourite restaurant in Provence!
