Bonduelle Expands Sustainable Product Line for Institutional Catering Amid Regulatory Push
- François Remy
- Oct 10
- 2 min read
French vegetable giant Bonduelle is strengthening its position in the out-of-home foodservice market through a new partnership with Agri-Éthique, France’s leading fair trade certification label. The move is set to significantly scale up the availability of certified sustainable food products for public and institutional catering, as new regulatory benchmarks loom.
Starting January 2026, tens of thousands of tons of certified sustainable vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, and zucchini will be made available to school cafeterias, corporate canteens, retirement homes, and other collective catering facilities, according to Agri-Éthique France. The announcement, made last week, marks the culmination of two years of collaboration with Bonduelle Food Service, the division of the group dedicated to professional foodservice clients.
Bonduelle’s decision comes against the backdrop of France’s ongoing regulatory transformation in agri-food procurement. At the heart of that shift lies the EGalim law, passed in 2018 following the États Généraux de l’Alimentation (General Assembly on Food), which mandates increasing volumes of organic, local, or sustainable products in public procurement for foodservice.
“One of the flagship measures of the EGalim law requires that at least 50% of meals served in collective catering must consist of products from sustainable and quality-certified supply chains. By 2027, the bar will rise further with a growing focus on HVE (High Environmental Value) certification,” Bonduelle Food Service explained. The division reached B Corp certification in September 2024, signaling its broader commitment to social and environmental performance.
The B Corp label, which distinguishes companies aiming not just to be the best in the world but the best for the world, also applies to Bonduelle’s Belgian entity.
In anticipation of the tightened standards, Bonduelle Food Service plans to boost its offering of EGalim-compliant products from 70 to over 100 references by January 1st, spanning canned and frozen formats.
“From retail to foodservice, the gap is closing fast,” said Anne-Marie Geryl, General Manager Bonduelle France. “Foodservice is undergoing profound change: consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, and the lines between retail and foodservice are increasingly blurred. We believe that plant-based solutions offer a powerful answer – sustainable, accessible, and creative, they reconcile taste, responsibility, and innovation.”
For Bonduelle and Agri-Éthique alike, the partnership reflects a shared belief: fair trade practices can serve as a catalyst for regenerative, environmentally respectful, and resilient agriculture.
“This partnership is highly meaningful for us, as it firmly roots our label in the out-of-home consumption space. It also offers a concrete solution aligned with the regulatory framework facing public procurement actors,” said Agri-Éthique France.
This strategic move forms part of a broader vision for Bonduelle Food Service. As Geryl noted, the company is aiming to spark a collective movement toward greater sustainability through its initiative TEAM UP to GREEN UP, which supports food professionals in increasing the share of plant-based offerings on their menus – "without compromising on taste or enjoyment."
Product innovation will remain a key focus in 2026. Bonduelle Food Service plans to introduce new frozen lines tailored to the needs of professional kitchens, including pre-prepared stir-fry mixes and ready-to-use blends. The emphasis, the company says, will be on practical, plant-based, and – above all – delicious solutions.
