How can EGAlim commitments be traced and justified in a catering network?
September 01 2025EGAlim compliance has become a structuring issue for purchasing, quality and CSR departments in contract catering.
Beyond compliance with regulatory thresholds (50% sustainable products, including 20% organic), the challenge lies in the ability to trace, analyze and justify these commitments to principals. In a multi-site network, this requirement calls for rigorous tools and methods. Here's how to build perfect, consolidated and enforceable traceability.
Why is EGAlim a complex obligation on a network scale?
Since 2022, the EGAlim law requires public collective catering establishments to achieve:
- 50% sustainable and quality products (SIQO, HVE, local, organic)
- At least 20% from organic farming
But the real complexity begins when it comes to justifying these commitments across an entire multi-site network. Each site buys differently, data is dispersed, and reporting formats are often incompatible with the grids of public ordering parties.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture's EGAlim 2024 assessment, only 38% of sites are meeting targets without reservation.
"We had EGAlim-compliant products... but no ability to prove it in a consolidated way across our network of 80 canteens."
Xavier U - Responsible for school catering, departmental
EGAlim guidelines: thresholds to be reached in collective catering
| Criteria | Legal purpose | Measure of compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Durable or quality products | ≥ 50% | VAT amount of products complying with at least one label (SIQO, Organic, HVE...) |
| Organic products | ≥ 20% | Excl. tax amount of organic-labeled products |
What data must be tracked to justify EGAlim?
Here are the main elements that public buyers or auditors ask for:
| EGAlim criteria | Data to be provided | Expected format |
|---|---|---|
| Organic products | Organic certificate product name amount excl. tax | Product list % on total purchase |
| SIQO products (Label Rouge, AOP...) | Supplier certificate SIQO typology | Distribution by SIQO type budget share |
| Local products | Geographical origin (region/department) | List localized products % on total purchases |
| HVE products | Supplier certificate of operation | Proof of origin associated amount |
How to automate the tracking of EGAlim commitments in an ERP system
The most advanced groups structure their compliance around 4 pillars:
- Coding of EGAlim products in the purchasing tool (as soon as they are listed)
- Supplier qualification with digital credentials (organic, SIQO...)
- Sustainable purchasing budget tracking by facility and network consolidation
- Automatic generation of EGAlim reporting, exportable on request
These functions are fully integrated into Adoria's Procurement module, enabling native traceability and direct justification from the system.
"In less than 48 hours, we were able to provide the rectorat with a consolidated statement of our 24% organic products and 54% sustainable purchases, with all the evidence."
Sylvie T - DAF, public catering group
EGAlim compliance checklist to integrate into your ERP
Here are the items to check each month to drive EGAlim compliance:
- Network consolidated organic purchasing rate
- Breakdown of SIQO amounts vs. total
- List of local products % on purchases
- Associated supplier certificates archived
- Statement exportable in the format requested by the DRAAF or public purchaser
FAQ - answer frequently asked questions about EGAlim
Can non-labeled local products be included in the 50% sustainable?
Yes, as long as they meet the proximity criteria and are clearly identified as such in your purchasing tool.
How to justify the origin of a processed product?
The supplier must provide an attestation specifying the origin of the main ingredients or a validated certificate of origin.
What checks are carried out by public purchasers?
Audits focus on declared percentages, the verifiability of data, and the traceability of associated supporting documents.
EGAlim is not just a regulatory constraint: it's a lever for structuring and transparency for the entire purchasing chain. Foodservice groups that digitize and codify their products and suppliers from the outset can respond rapidly to audit or tender requests. The Adoria Procurement module facilitates this traceability and secures your sustainable commitments, at the level of each site as well as the entire network.
"Tracing EGAlim commitments is not a matter of ticking boxes, but of demonstrating their reality in purchasing flows. Without rigorous codification and consolidated evidence, no network can sustainably meet the expectations of public buyers."
