Zomato Responds After User Complains Of Chicken Biryani Appearing In The Veg Section

Online food delivery giant Zomato has been criticized by a user who reported the presence of chicken biryani listed under the vegetarian section on its platform. The issue sparked a flood of criticism on social media, particularly from vegetarians who expressed anger over what they called a “serious lapse in categorization.”

The X user shared screenshots of the chicken biryani appearing in the vegetarian section of Zomato

The controversy gained traction after screenshots of chicken biryani emerging in the vegetarian section were circulated widely on X (formerly Twitter) by a user Shubhashree Das. Users demanded an explanation from the company, with many tagging Zomato and urging it to rectify the error immediately.

Twitter

Shubhashree tagged @zomato and @deepigoyal and wrote,

What’s your opinion seeing this chicken dish in the veg listing????

Twitter

Here is the post of the chicken dish in the vegetarian listing

@zomato @deepigoyal What’s your opinion seeing this chicken dish in the veg listing???? pic.twitter.com/G4eZ1s03HV

— shubhashree das (@ShubhashreeD) May 8, 2025

Zomato responded to the criticism and issued a statement

Responding to the complaint, Zomato issued a statement on Thursday acknowledging the glitch. Addressing the problem, Zomato Care asked the customer to give them some time to look into the matter. They wrote,

Hey Shubhashree, we understand your concern. Please allow us some time to look into this and get this checked.

Hey Shubhashree, we understand your concern. Please allow us some time to look into this and get this checked.

— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) May 9, 2025

This is not the first time food delivery platforms have faced backlash over such categorization issues. Previously, Zomato had reassured users that it had implemented stricter quality checks and updated its backend systems to prevent non-vegetarian dishes from being incorrectly tagged in the future.

TOI

Despite the response from the food aggregator app, the incident has reignited debate over food labeling and sensitivity on online platforms. Some users have called for a more potent verification system when it comes to food categories, especially on apps used by millions. Experts say that as food tech continues to grow, a need for ethical tech design and culturally aware algorithms grows too.

A reminder of how even small glitches in the digital food space can stir up major reactions in India’s highly food-conscious society.

Have you ever faced such issues on Zomato? Let us know in the comments.