A union in France is calling for a new law to protect chefs who cook fresh food from scratch.

The Guardian reports that true gallic chefs are up in arms at the increasing trend toward pre-prepared meals, such as frozen chips and boil-in-the-bag rice.

Synhorcat, a national union for restaurant, cafe and hotel owners fears the proud French tradition of the “gastronomic meal” is under threat.

A recent study  suggests a third of France’s 100,000 restaurants are using “industrial products”.

French politicians are considering drawing up a restaurant “appellation”, which could only be used by outlets cooking food in-house, and that meets high standards of freshness.