France: food inspections

In France, Chef Hygiene follows the arrêté of 21 December 2009 on food temperatures, the 14-hour hygiene training of Décret 2011-731 and EU rules, and the DDPP inspects restaurants.

Inspection body

Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (Direction Départementale de la Protection des Populations, DDPP)

The DDPP carries out official controls in restaurants. The DGAL (Direction Générale de l’Alimentation) sets national inspection policy. About 52,000 inspections a year are made in commercial restaurants.

Inspections follow risk: higher-risk places are inspected at least twice a year. A small fault brings a warning letter. A bigger fault brings an official report, a deadline for corrective measures and a re-inspection. If public health is at serious risk, the DDPP can order closure, withdraw the sanitary approval or suspend operations.

Hygiene rating

Yes. Alim’confiance publishes every official inspection result online, free for the public. It has 4 levels: Très satisfaisant, Satisfaisant, À améliorer and À corriger de manière urgente. A result stays visible for 1 year.