I Have a Gut Feeling My Delivery Driver Is Messing With My Food

Having food delivered to your home by a stranger is an exercise in trust that most of us don’t think twice about. But trust gets tossed out the window when you don’t believe your food is safe enough to eat because of your delivery service. One stay-at-home shares her suspicions of her delivery driver, whom she believes is tampering with her food. Worried about her safety, she asks for advice about what her next step should be — confront the situation or let it slide?

This is her story:

Thank you, Emma, for sharing your story with us. We have some tips that can help you deal with this situation.

Food tampering is serious.

Food tampering is a crime and if you suspect that your food is being tampered with then you should not do nothing about it. Your health is at stake and you cannot afford to let it slide, especially if it means that your life is in danger and the well-being of your children is at stake. While it’s hard to say for sure if this happened to you, your decision to prioritize your safety and emotional well-being was courageous.

Speaking up to the manager, after receiving several suspected tampered meals was a good thing on your part because you acted in response to a valid concern. But now that the issue has escalated and affected your physical health, you need to escalate your concerns as well.

Gather evidence and report the issue.

Living in a small town, could mean that you are not the only one in your community affected by this so keeping quiet might put other people’s health at risk. You also should not be hindered from getting the best food services, just because there aren’t a lot of delivery options available. Here are some other steps that you can take to begin to get to the bottom of this issue.

1. Look into any questionable activities right away. Gather evidence to back up your suspicions, take pictures if you need to.
2. Report any suspicions of food tampering to the local police department. Additionally, give your local health agency a call.
3. Keep the questionable food aside. Save the food for proof. Avoid handling the food. Put it in a plastic bag or wrap it in plastic. Give the item a clear label and keep it separate from the other food items in your house.
4. Contact your local health department to issue an investigation into the health and safety of the food deliveries.

If you feel uncomfortable continuing with this service, it might be worth considering other options, even if it means compromising on convenience. Home cooked meals tend to be more nutritious and well balanced and you save money.

Give meal-share network a chance.

A meal-sharing plan, where you share homemade meals with a few family members or friends, could work well for you. You could choose people who live around you to make it easier to meet-up. This could also benefit your social life as you build trust within the community and you have better control over preparation and safety. This offers a comforting alternative to relying solely on delivery services.

Be proactive about your food safety.

To ensure your food deliveries get you safer food, you could give detailed instructions when you place your order. Request that your meals come in sealed packaging and include specific handling preferences to reduce the risk of tampering. This is especially important in small towns where delivery options are limited. Being clear about how your food should be packed and delivered can offer peace of mind and help keep your meals safe.

Stand up for yourself.

Standing up for yourself is an act of self-care and self-respect. Your well-being matters, and it’s essential to feel safe and valued in all aspects of your life. If you ever feel uneasy about a certain situation, trust your gut feeling and take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Your peace of mind is worth it.

It takes assertiveness to stand up for yourself and that involves speaking respectfully but directly. It’s important in various aspects of life, including work, relationships with friends and family, and everyday interactions.

As you navigate this situation, you can take the time to also learn the truth about the food we thought was safe, in this article.