Survey: More than 1 in 4 delivery drivers taste the food they’re dropping off

Ordering dinner straight to your doorstep via an app may be convenient, but it turns out that relying on a driver to deliver your food untouched may not be a safe bet.

According to a new survey from US Foods, about 28% of drivers admitted to taking food from deliveries, which people place through apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash. More than half said they were tempted by the smell of the food they were charged with dropping off.

A man in Pennsylvania recently complained that a DoorDash delivery driver ate ribs from a barbecue order she was transporting.

Predictably, the survey found that most people ordering food think it’s unacceptable for drivers to sample the fare they’re delivering and most want restaurants to switch to tamper-evident labels to prevent would-be moochers from digging in.

The survey was conducted in May 2019, with 1,518 American adults – including 500 delivery drivers – responding.