Malnutrition in France...

From escargots to le Big Mac: how the land of haute cuisine fell for fast food

By Jon Henley in The Observer, Saturday 29 Sep 2018

The rise of the burger (albeit often posh) is changing old dining habits. But MPs fear for France’s health.

French food: so good that the wise heads at UNESCO declared it part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage, so celebrated that the love of it defined a nation.

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,” as the original foodie, the gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, put it in 1825. And he was somebody who undoubtedly knew his lentilles vertes du Puy et caviar from his langoustines à la nageand his poulette du perche from his poitrine de grive.

For years, France’s eating habits – and not just in restaurants – have been a model: portion control; lots of basics (eggs, butter, bread, potatoes); little processed or fast foods; plenty of fish, fruit, vegetable oils and (of course) full-fat dairy; structured, convivial, family-centred meals. French women, after all, do not get fat.

So why, last week, did a new report suggest that 30 million people – nearly half the country’s population – could be obese by 2030? And how come, on a sunny lunchtime in early autumn, there is a queue outside McDonald’s – one of 1,440 in France, the chain’s second-biggest global market – on the Boulevard des Italiens in central Paris?

“I can’t believe you’re asking this,” said Stephane Loiseau, a 29-year-old account manager tapping his order – “un CBO” (chicken, bacon, onion) with fries – into the touchscreen. “It’s such a cliché. They’re cheap, they’re fast, they use pretty OK ingredients. Why should the French be any different from the rest of the world?”

Natalie Girardot, a sales assistant at a nearby jeweller’s store, was equally dismissive. “You know they use all-French ingredients?” she said, pointing at her tray. “Look: Charolais beef, fourme d’Ambert cheese on the top. Plus a proper vinaigrette. France loves McDonald’s. It always has done.”

That’s not strictly true. Twenty years ago next year, a pipe-smoking, mustachioed sheep farmer called José Bové famously dismantled a half-built McDonald’s at Millau in southern France with a group of fellow smallholders and ex-hippies, launching a national crusade against la malbouffe – junk food.

But now France loves burgers: a survey published earlier this year by consultancy Gira Conseil showed the country’s 66 million people consumed 1.46 billion of them in 2017 – nearly 10% more than the previous year. Perhaps more remarkably, burgers now feature on the menus of 85% of French restaurants. Not that you’d call them malbouffe. At L’Artisan du Burger on rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, burgers with ingredients including rocket, lime zest, reblochon cheese, compote of red onions and a smoked spice sauce cost €12 (more if you want them in a squid-ink bun topped with nigella or black cumin seeds).

“They’re part of our national cuisine now,” said Sara Vérier, a bank worker and frequent restaurant-goer. “Almost every place – even some really quite smart ones – does at least one. You get nice French touches: a wedge of foie gras, roquefort. Sometimes even truffles.”

Bernard Boutboul, Gira Conseil’s managing director, describes the burger’s seemingly unstoppable rise in France as “a euphoria, a craze” that has now started to verge on “hysteria”, with posh burgers outselling French bistro classics such as duck breast and boeuf bourguignon in many restaurants.

Yet the vast majority of burgers consumed in France – 70% – are far from fast food. They are eaten sitting at a table, with (often) a glass of wine, in a “proper” restaurant. Which does not mean the home of haute cuisine has not fallen for fast food: it has. French eating habits are changing.

Increasing time pressure (no more two-hour lunches; the average French worker now takes a 31-minute break at midday, according to one survey) and the emergence of home-delivery services such as Deliveroo and UberEats have seen the country’s fast-food sector expand exponentially.

France’s 32,000 fast-food outlets booked sales of about €51bn last year – 6% more than in 2016, 13% up on four years ago, and almost three times the figure in 2005. What’s more, they now represent 60% of the entire French restaurant business.

Fast food “doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t eat well,” said Josiane Bouvier, a geography teacher, emerging from Nous, an organic takeaway on rue du Châteaudun, with an unFrench-sounding “hotbox” of grilled chicken, mint yoghurt sauce, seasonal salad and wholegrain rice. “I think many French people who go even to fast-food places are very conscious of the quality of ingredients, and whether dishes are really made on the premises,” she said. “But that’s if you can afford 9, 10 or 12 euros for lunch out.”

And there’s the thing. Good food is no longer cheap in France – in restaurants or at home. The country’s food processing and distribution firms are big and powerful. French eating habits, the national food agency Anses says, are no longer a model: now it involves more and more highly processed foods, too much salt, and not enough fibre.

For all its particular relationship to food, France is far from immune to la malbouffe. MPs reported last week that as many as 30 million French people, mainly in lower-income households, will be obese or overweight by 2030 unless big food firms slash salt, sugar, fat and other additives and children are educated to eat more healthily.

“French families spend less money and less time on their food than ever before,” said one MP, Loïc Prud’homme. “We need to take back control of our plates.”

Another, Michèle Crouzet, who has campaigned for less salt in food, was blunter. The French “are not dying of too much food,” she said, “but little by little, the food we eat is killing us.”

Traduction de l'article (Courrier international):

En France, le burger a remplacé l’escargot.

Article de Jon Henley publié le 12/10/2018 dans The Observer (Londres)

La cuisine française. Un tel trésor gustatif que les responsables de l’Unesco, dans leur infinie sagesse, l’ont inscrite au patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’humanité. Un tel régal que l’adoration qu’elle suscite a défini l’identité de toute une nation.

“Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es”, disait le gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, en 1825. Un homme dont l’érudition culinaire se vérifiait aussi bien sur un plat de lentilles du Puy que sur une cuillère de caviar, des langoustines à la nage, une poulette du Perche ou une poitrine de grive.

Pendant des années, les habitudes alimentaires des Français – et pas seulement au restaurant – ont été érigées en modèle : portions raisonnables, variété des produits de base (œufs, beurre, pain, pommes de terre), peu de produits transformés et poissons, fruits et légumes à foison, sans oublier les produits laitiers (au lait entier évidemment) ; le tout servi autour d’une table, en famille, pour un moment de convivialité. Car comme vous le savez, les Françaises ne grossissent pas.

Les sirènes de McDo

Mais alors pourquoi un rapport paru en septembre annonce-t-il que 30 millions de Français – soit près de la moitié de la population – pourraient souffrir d’obésité d’ici 2030 ? Et comment expliquer la présence, en un bel après-midi d’automne, d’une immense queue devant le McDo du boulevard des Italiens, en plein cœur de Paris ?

“J’arrive pas à croire que vous me demandiez ça, s’esclaffe Stéphane Loiseau, attaché de clientèle de 29 ans, en tapotant sur un écran pour entrer sa commande – un CBO (poulet, bacon, oignon) avec des frites. C’est tellement cliché. Ici, c’est pas cher, c’est rapide, les ingrédients sont à peu près OK. Pourquoi les Français seraient-ils différents du reste du monde ?”

Natalie Girardot, vendeuse dans un magasin de bijoux du quartier, partage cet avis. “Vous savez qu’ils utilisent des produits français ? lance-t-elle en désignant son plateau. Regardez : bœuf charolais et fourme d’Ambert. Et une vraie vinaigrette. Les Français adorent McDo. Ça a toujours été comme ça.”

Ce qui n’est pas tout à fait exact. Il y a vingt ans, armé de sa pipe et de sa moustache, José Bové et un groupe de petits producteurs et de vieux hippies s’en étaient pris au chantier d’un McDonald’s à Millau, dans le sud de la France, lançant une grande croisade nationale contre la malbouffe.

Aujourd’hui, la France aime les burgers : selon une étude publiée récemment par le cabinet Gira Conseil, les Français ont consommé 1,46 milliard de hamburgers en 2017, soit près de 10 % de plus que l’année précédente. Plus étonnant encore, les burgers figurent à présent au menu de 85 % des restaurants français. Mais ces burgers n’appartiennent pas à la catégorie malbouffe. À l’Artisan du Burger, rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, on sert des sandwichs composés de roquette, zeste de citron vert, reblochon, compotée d’oignons rouges et sauce fumée aux épices pour 12 euros (ou plus si vous optez pour le pain à l’encre de seiche et aux graines de nigelle).

Pour Bernard Boutboul, directeur de Gira Conseil, l’irrésistible ascension du burger en France ressemble à “une frénésie” frisant désormais “l’hystérie”. Les nouveaux burgers chics ont supplanté les classiques des bistrots comme le bœuf bourguignon ou les magrets de canard au palmarès de nombreux restaurants.

Des rythmes de vie qui changent

L’immense majorité des burgers consommés en France – 70 % – ne relèvent toutefois pas de la restauration rapide. Ils sont consommés à table, (souvent) accompagnés d’un verre de vin, dans un “vrai” restaurant. Ce qui ne signifie pas pour autant que le berceau de la grande gastronomie a su résister aux sirènes du fast-food. Car les habitudes des Français sont en train de changer.

Avec l’accélération des rythmes de vie (finie la pause déjeuner de deux heures, d’après une étude, le salarié français moyen ne prend plus que trente et une minutes pour manger le midi) et l’apparition des services de livraison comme Deliveroo ou UberEats, le secteur de la restauration rapide a explosé.

Fort de 32 000 établissements en France, ce secteur a enregistré un chiffre d’affaires de près de 51 millions d’euros l’an dernier, soit une hausse de 6 % par rapport à 2016 et de 13 % par rapport à 2014, et multiplié ses ventes par trois par rapport à 2005. Il représente désormais 60 % du secteur de la restauration en général.

La restauration rapide “n’est pas nécessairement synonyme de malbouffe”, affirme Josiane Bouvier, professeur de géographie, en sortant de chez Nous, un restaurant de plats bio à emporter, situé rue de Châteaudun. Dans son sac, une hotbox de poulet grillé, sauce yaourt à la menthe, salade de saison et riz entier.

Et c’est bien là le problème. Les bons produits – au restaurant ou à la maison – ne sont plus à portée de toutes les bourses en France. Les entreprises de l’agroalimentaire sont puissantes dans l’Hexagone. À en croire l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire (Anses), les habitudes alimentaires des Français ne sont plus un modèle : on y trouve de plus en plus de produits transformés, trop de sel et pas assez de fibres.

En dépit de sa relation si particulière à la nourriture, la France n’est pas immunisée contre la malbouffe. La semaine dernière, des députés affirmaient que 30 millions de Français, la plupart touchant de faibles revenus, pourraient être obèses ou en surpoids d’ici 2030 si les entreprises de l’agroalimentaire ne réduisent pas leur utilisation de sel, de sucre, de graisses et d’autres additifs et si les enfants n’apprennent pas à manger plus sainement.

“Les Français n’ont jamais consacré aussi peu d’argent et aussi peu de temps à leur alimentation, estime le député Loïc Prud’homme. Nous devons reprendre le contrôle de nos assiettes.”

Michèle Crouzet, qui prône une réduction du sel dans l’alimentation, est plus directe. Les Français “ne meurent pas d’un excès de nourriture, explique-t-elle, mais ce que nous mangeons est en train de nous tuer à petit feu”.

Read the Q&A below!

Q&A:

1) What is The Observer?

The Observer is a British Sunday broadsheet newspaper, for the intelligentsia. It is centre-left. It is the oldest “Sunday” in the world (founded in 1791). It is owned by the Guardian Media Group Ltd.

2) What is an MP?

An MP is a Member of Parliament (an MP sits in the House of Commons in Westminster, London). There are 650 MPs; each represents a constituency. MPs are elected every five years at a General Election.

3) What is UNESCO?

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, an agency of the United Nations. It aims to build peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture.

4) What does "intangible cultural heritage" mean?

Intangible cultural heritage means traditions (living expressions inherited from our ancestors), including: oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals (such as commemoration ceremonies), festive events, knowledge and practices concerning Nature and the Universe, and traditional crafts. Maintaining intangible cultural heritage is important for cultural diversity in a globalized world. Understanding intangible cultural heritage helps with intercultural dialogue and mutual respect.

5) What is Brillat-Savarin famous for?

Brillat-Savarin is famous for writing a celebrated book on gastronomy (“Physiologie du goût”) in the early 1800. He had a scientific approach to cooking; for him, a dish is "good" if its ingredients are good quality, if it is well prepared, and if its effect on health and mind are positive.

6) How many processed dishes and fast food meals do you eat in a week?

Frozen fish in some kind of sauce once or twice. We like take-away pizza, but not every week. 

7) Do you ever eat fish (how often)?

Yes, I love to eat fish (though it is quite expensive). I eat all sorts: pollock or salmon fillets, tinned sardines, cod livers, etc. I avoid produce from intensive aquaculture or that does not have the MSC label.

9) Do you like to cook (on what occasions)?

My friends say they love my cooking! It is always fun to cook for family and friends (on festive occasions).

10) Do you enjoy family meals (describe one)?

I enjoy family meals most times, because it is when we can share each other’s company and problems, ideas, hopes, etc. It is a bit irritating sometimes that the kids want to rush the meal because they have something “more interesting” to do…

11) Do French women ever get fat?

Yes, of course, some French women get fat! 15% of French women are overweight. There are regional variations (21% in the Nord-Pas de Calais). The stereotype of French women being slim is perhaps based on the experience of foreign tourists who mostly visit fashionable parts of Paris (where women are below the national average in terms of body weight).

12) Are you on a diet (why/not)?

No, I am not on a diet! Diets do not work and are the cause of much mental and physical suffering. At my age, slimming is impossible anyway (and I have no will power!). I do try and reduce my carbohydrate intake when it becomes impossible for me to put my socks on without huge effort. I should do some kind of sport (other than housework or gardening)…

13) Should the French be different from the rest of the world as regards food?

Yes, the French should try to be different from the rest of the world regarding food because food is such an important part of our culture. Our traditional cuisine is appreciated the world over (UNESCO even considers it an important part of world heritage). We should maintain our traditions so that they can serve as an example to the rest of the world; for example, we spend a lot of time eating and drinking (133 minutes per day on average according to the OECD, which is a world record, though the time spent cooking is actually going down), and that’s a good thing. However, I am not sure traditional French dishes are in fact that good for one’s health (there’s a lot of meat and fatty dairy produce), and the Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation has declared that French eating habits are “no longer a model”. The French, especially the young, are slowly being influenced by the standardization of eating habits (i.e. more processed dishes and fast food) throughout the world.

14) Is a MacDonald's meal good for you?

A meal at McDonald's is not bad from time to time. It should not be a regular meal because the fat, salt and sugar content is too high (and meat in large quantities is bad for you). From an ethical point of view, eating at McDonald's is surely “bad” because the firm influences negatively people’s eating habits, it uses intensively farmed produce, is wasteful (it uses excessive amounts of packaging), exploits its workers (they are poorly paid and have little job security), and it does not sufficiently reinvest its profits locally.

15) Who is José Bové and do you approve his actions?

José Bové is an organic farmer, an MEP (a member of the Euro Greens), an alter-globalisation activist (a member of ATTAC) and an agri-unionist (spokesman for Viacampesina). I approve his civil disobedience actions; he is a hero! He has taken part in anti-GM actions, protested inn Seattle against the WTO meeting, etc. 

16) Who eats the 30% of burgers consumed in France considered to be "malbouffe" (i.e. poor quality fast food)?

Obviously, the people who cannot afford the posh burgers!

17) Why is good food expensive now in France?

The cost of living is going up in France so good quality food is expensive now in France (organic food is becoming a little cheaper as more and more people buy it). Actually, processed food is quite expensive too (it is not value for money if you consider its poor nutritional value) but people buy lots of it because they let themselves be influenced by advertising (the food processing conglomerates are powerful, with efficient lobbying) and people are dependent on the supermarket chains (which push processed foods).

18) Why are the French getting fat?

The French are getting fat because they eat too much, especially unhealthy processed foods (which are high in sugar, salt, fat and cheap chemical additives, and poor in fibre). Also, we should exercise more (notably children), and be less lazy (in preparing meals).

19) How can we "take back control of our plates"?

Taking back control of what we eat and how we eat will require radical social, cultural, political and economic change! To start with, the State has to make people more aware through efficient public health campaigns of the problem of malnutrition (and lack of physical exercise), ban advertising for food and drink that is poor quality (and often dangerous to health), impose high quality produce (organic, fresh, local) in school and university canteens, subsidise organic farming, etc. The State has been quite efficient in reducing tobacco consumption, why does it not do more against poor nutritional habits (obesity and alcoholism are among the biggest killers)?