NEW YORK (WCBS/CNN) – If you have meals delivered to you, there’s a good chance your driver has been nibbling on your food.
About a quarter of food delivery drivers surveyed said they’ve tasted food they were delivering. (Source: WCBS/CNN)
A recent study conducted by the U.S. Foods Distributing Co. found 1 in 4 delivery service couriers admit to munching on an order, and those are just the ones who admit it.
Almost 500 drivers from popular delivery apps including Ubereats, Grubhub, Doordash, and Postmates were surveyed.
Not only do so many drivers admit to sneaking a taste, but 21 percent of customers suspected it.
More than half of the drivers surveyed say they were tempted by the smell of the food they’re delivering and 28 percent actually dug in.
“I may have to tell them, ‘If you’re that hungry let me buy you a meal, and you leave mine alone,’” Pam Bradley
While the study shocked many app users, one app-courier was not surprised.
“I’ve seen people grab a couple of fries off the top, take some, and then kind of roll the bag up. People just don’t know how to control that hunger.” said Neftaly Gonzalez, an UberEats driver.
But Gonzalez says he would never do that.
“I’ve always considered, imagine this was me getting my food. Would I want somebody’s dirty fingers where I don’t know they’ve been touching the food that I’m supposed to be eating?” he said.
The same study found that 85 percent of customers would like to see tamper-evident seals on the food to prevent drivers from digging in.
The apps named in the study didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Customers aren’t the only ones with complaints, though.
The study revealed 60 percent of delivery drivers said they receive little or no tip.
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