French mull redefinition of ‘restaurant’ to include meals from scratch only

Is France's gastronomic reputation as a hotbed of fine dining being threatened by frozen frites and store-bought stocks?

Daniel Fasquelle of the country's right-wing opposition party thinks so, and he has put forward an amendment to a new consumer rights bill that would redefine the term "restaurant" to only include establishments that make make meals from scratch, reports the Guardian.

Exceptions would be made for some prepared products, such as bread, charcuterie and ice cream.

Also see: How companies are making it seem like their products are 'homemade'

Backing this new proposed law is Synhorcat, a national union for restaurant, cafe and hotel owners. It cites a recent study that suggests 31 per cent of France's 100,000 restaurants are using industrial products.

Some restaurant owners like Alain Fontaine of Le Mesturet in central Paris agree with the proposed law.

"It means that we have chefs who develop recipes and prepare them, unlike those who have taken the decision to cut open bags and reheat," he tells Agence France-Presse.

This isn't the first time France has instituted a purist law regarding food. In 1995, the country successfully passed a law that limited the use of the term bakery to establishments that prepared bread and pastries from scratch. That law is widely seen as having given a boost to traditional bakers, reports AFP.

Also see: Canadian restaurant meals contain over half recommended daily calories

But six other restaurant groups, including the country's main restaurant owners association, oppose the proposed law. They argue it would create confusion among the public, particularly tourists, and would have drastic consequences for unemployment of youth under 25.

"People want cheap food, and it saves some restaurants time," a Parisian waiter tells the Guardian.

What are your thoughts on France's proposed restaurant definition law? Does it make sense given that food standards are changing in the country?