Survey says food delivery drivers have probably tasted your order

According to a report from U.S. Foods that surfaced on Jalopnik, more than a quarter of delivery drivers say they have, at some point, tasted the food he or she was delivering. If there were fries involved, that number is likely even higher. The uncertainty about unprotected nums has some feeling delivery food should be sealed by the restaurant it comes from. 

U.S. Foods, self-proclaimed to be “one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor” that has partnered with “approximately 250,000 restaurants and foodservice operators,” recently conducted a survey to get a sense of the minds of food delivery workers and consumers. The survey was conducted May 9-13 and included services such as UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates. Of the 1,518 consumers, ages ranged from 18 to 77, and the median was 31 years old. Of the 497 delivery workers surveyed, ages were 21-63 with a median of 30.

Possibly the most interesting number of the survey was 28. When delivery people were asked, “Have you ever taken food from an order?,” 28 percent answered yes. It might be fair to assume that number is low when the food in question is a highly tempting order of french fries.

When consumers were asked, “If you ordered a burger and fries, and a deliverer grabbed a few fries on the way, how upset would you be?,” the average answer was 8.4 out of 10, with 10 being the most angry.

Furthermore, 21 percent of customers have suspected deliverers of taking food, and 54 percent of deliverers said they have been tempted by the smell of the food. 

While other problems mentioned in the survey, such as cold food or late delivery, might be more difficult to fix, a solution to the food-snatchers was proposed to the participants: tamper-evident labels. When asked whether they would want this feature added to food delivery, 85 percent said yes. This seems like a reasonable ask, but not all food (like fries) can easily be sealed. 

The survey also asked the delivery people their biggest issues with the process. Sixty percent said weak or no tip, 52 percent replied when the food is not ready at the restaurant, and 39 percent said they get frustrated with poor delivery instructions from the customer. 

Read the full report at U.S. Foods.