Nearly 30 per cent of delivery drivers admit to eating food from customers' orders

Almost half of all drivers surveyed said they had been tempted by food they were delivering

Healthcare professionals in the UAE called for wider support to address unhealthy lifestyles, which are a key contributory factor in many diseases. Getty Images    

When you live a busy lifestyle, food delivery services can become a lifeline, saving you the hassle of cooking after a long day.

In the UAE, the home delivery culture is thriving, with the majority of the country's restaurants and fast-food chains available to order in at home.

But a recent US survey sheds a new light on home delivery. According to the research, almost 30 per cent of delivery drivers say they had taken food from orders.

The survey, conducted by US Foods, polled drivers from UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates. Of the 500 drivers to respond, 28 per cent admitted to giving in to temptation at some point and eating some of the food in their delivery before it reached its destination.

A further 50 per cent of delivery drivers admitted to being tempted by food at some point, although not actually having any.

US Foods also asked customers how they would feel if they knew their orders had been dipped into en route. They asked people to rate how upset they would be on a scale of one to 10 - one being not bothered and 10 being unacceptable. The average score was 8.4 out of 10.

Of course these figures are from US drivers and consumers, with UberEats the only service polled to be available in the UAE. Still, it might make you think twice next time your order looks to have a few chips missing.