TECHNOLOGY
What Are They Doing to Your Food Before It Arrives? An Investigation Into Delivery Tampering Has Some Uncomfortable Answers.
Spit. Pepper spray. A CBS undercover investigation. A review of documented incidents suggests the problem is more common than the platforms admit — and the seal is a sticker.
By Rex Holloway · April 19, 2026
WASHINGTON — A survey of 500 active delivery drivers working for Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates found that 28 percent admitted to eating a customer's food before completing delivery at least once. The survey, conducted by a food industry research group, did not ask about other forms of tampering. Researchers said they did not ask because they were not sure they wanted to know.
The documented incidents suggest they were right to be cautious.
In December 2025, a DoorDash driver in Vanderburgh County, Indiana named Kourtney Stevenson was arrested after doorbell camera footage showed her spraying a couple's food order with what authorities identified as an irritant substance — later confirmed as pepper spray — after dropping it at their door. Mark Cardin and his wife became ill shortly after eating the meal. His wife began choking and vomited. Both were treated.
Stevenson, when questioned by detectives, said she was terrified of spiders and had been trying to kill one on the bag. It was December. Investigators noted that spider activity in northern Indiana in December is not common. She was charged with two counts of consumer product tampering resulting in bodily harm and two counts of battery resulting in moderate injury. She was held without bond pending extradition.
DoorDash said it had terminated her account.
The spider defense was not accepted.
In Kendall, Florida in 2023, a DoorDash driver was captured on a customer's security camera spitting three times onto a food delivery bag before glancing at the camera and walking back to his vehicle. The customer had ordered approximately $30 worth of food and left a $3 tip. The video was posted to Instagram, where it was viewed more than one million times within 48 hours. DoorDash said it was investigating. The driver was not publicly identified.
In Whitby, Ontario in 2024, a driver was filmed spitting into a Booster Juice drink before completing delivery. The customer had already tipped. The driver was terminated and fined $500. He did not comment publicly.
A CBS News undercover investigation using hidden cameras found additional instances of drivers tampering with sealed food containers during transit, including opening bags, removing items, and in two documented cases, resealing packaging in a manner that was not detectable to the customer upon receipt.
Platform representatives from DoorDash and Uber Eats both issued statements describing food tampering as a violation of their terms of service and grounds for permanent deactivation. Neither platform disclosed how many drivers had been deactivated for tampering-related offenses, citing privacy policy.
Neither platform requires drivers to pass a background check that screens for prior food tampering convictions, because no such criminal category existed in most jurisdictions until recently.
The food arrives in a sealed bag. The seal is a sticker.
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Roger Woolfe →What They Left Out
A frequent DoorDash customer in Southern Virginia, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Jamie, said he had stopped using all food delivery platforms approximately fourteen months ago and had not looked back.
"I don't use DoorDash," Jamie said. "I don't use Uber Eats. I don't use any of them."
He was asked why.
He said he did not want to discuss the specifics. He said only that he had read enough, and that once you understand what is possible, the $2.99 delivery fee looks different.
He said he cooks at home now.
He was asked if he missed the convenience.
He thought about it.
"Not really," he said. "Not anymore."
He added that he and his wife are currently installing a full kitchen in their she shed so they can prepare every meal at home.
He did not elaborate on the she shed.
And now you know... what they left out.
What They Left Out
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