Zomato Responds After Customer Complains About Finding Live Animal In Food

Over the past few years, food delivery platforms have revolutionized how people dine. Sites such as Zomato and Swiggy have revolutionized consumer consumption patterns with convenience, variety, and speed. In addition, competition among delivery sites forced them to provide discounts, quicker delivery, and better customer service.

But with food delivery services growing, they also encounter a series of challenges. The most worrying one is the lack of accountability in food safety. Cases of poor cleanliness, incorrect orders, or even the presence of foreign or live matter in food have created serious concerns. A recent example is a viral post from Hyderabad where a customer allegedly found a live animal in a salad ordered through Zomato. Now, the company has also responded to the allegations.

Twitter

Zomato customers found a live animal in the ordered food

Abhilash (@AbhiChukk on X), a Zomato user from Hyderabad, recently shared a disturbing video of what looked like a slug creeping into his salad. In his X post, the customer wrote,

It is so scary to order food in #Hyderabad these days. Live animals are showing up in food. #FoodSafety does not exist in India. Zero accountability from anyone. #Zomato just wipes its hands by giving the refund and moves on. Pathetic situation.

The video depicts a creature moving among the lettuce leaves, raising concerns about restaurant food safety and sanitation regulations. Based on the screenshot that Abhilash shared, the order was placed from Ironhill Cafe in Madhapur, Hyderabad.

Have a look at the original post:

It is so scary to order food in #Hyderabad these days. Live animals are showing up in food. #FoodSafety does not exist in india. Zero accountability from anyone. #Zomato just wipes its hands by giving the refund and moves on. Pathetic situation. pic.twitter.com/fWIAsb5A7Y

— Abhilash (@AbhiChukk) October 12, 2025

How did Zomato react to the above-mentioned tweet?

In a public response to the complaint, Zomato Care acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. In their response, the company wrote,

Hi Abhilash, this is a matter of serious concern for us as well. Rest assured, we’re on it. Please give us a little time to have this looked into, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we have an update.

Hi Abhilash, this is a matter of serious concern for us as well. Rest assured, we’re on it. Please give us a little time to have this looked into, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we have an update.

— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) October 12, 2025

After some time, the company also shared an update regarding the incident. They informed us that they discussed the matter with Abhilash on a phone call and asked him if he needed any further assistance. About this, the company wrote,

Hi Abhilash, thank you for getting on a call with us to discuss your concern. Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

Hi Abhilash, thank you for getting on a call with us to discuss your concern. Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) October 13, 2025

The post is not popular online but showcases a single customer’s experience and continued fears regarding food hygiene in online orders. Though Zomato frequently boasted about launching internal investigations on such cases, social media users have demanded tightened norms and accountability on the part of food delivery services as well as partner restaurants. The incident has once again sparked food safety debates in India and increased reliance on online order and delivery platforms.

Food safety officials have called for swift action by authorities like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and continuous monitoring of restaurants featured on food ordering apps. So far, there has not been an official statement from Zomato on the outcome of the probe and whether any action will be taken against the restaurant. The incident episode continues to leave serious concerns about hygiene and regulation in the fast-growing food delivery business.

What do you think about such incidents? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.