Food delivery platforms have to guarantee their safety, quality, and reliable service. But a recent case involving Zomato is of serious concern. One customer had to pay ₹300 for a Mushroom Pulao, waited 60 minutes to get it delivered, and was surprised to discover that the food smelled rotten. Both the mushrooms and the rice were spoiled and the meal was no longer safe to eat. The entire order simply had to be thrown into the dustbin.
He described opening a box, and immediately found a foul smell in it. The dish was distinctly unfit for consumption, challenging food safety inspections done at partner restaurants. Complaint channels were missing, which only worsened the issue. The app had only two options: accept an ₹80 coupon/refund instead of human support or a direct helpline, or “share feedback” and close the case.
The limited response made the customer feel neglected. You have to pay in full with platform and delivery fees, but the unsafe food is unacceptable. The lack of serious complaint resolution seems to mean that customers are being told to accept low reimbursement or be silent. Those practices erode trust in the platform and show where accountability is lacking.
That incident highlights two key issues: checking for food quality and the quality of customer service. The partner locations don’t seem to have very stringent checks to verify that food is fresh and safe. Zomato’s complaint system appears to be built to avoid refunds as well as to avoid dealing with actual grievances. Customers are more than feedback boxes; they deserve proper redress when food safety is threatened.
On social media, the complaint tagged Zomato and its CEO, Deepinder Goyal, begging for an immediate response. Some users reiterated a few of those same feelings with other users, stating that unsafe food and improper handling of complaints are increasingly widespread. The incident has fueled a debate over whether food delivery apps may have a bottom line, if they put the safety of the customer behind the profit motive.
The Mushroom Pulao case is not just a single bad order, it is symptomatic of more profound issues with food delivery services. Unless standards are maintained by careful checking of quality and swift customer support, platforms will become a disservice. Customers demand safe food and good care, not token coupons. For Zomato, it’s a wake‑up call to ensure partner restaurants have strong monitoring and that they design real complaint channels that honor consumer rights.
