Is Food Delivery Safe in a Pandemic? Officials Say Yes

(Bloomberg) -- Food delivery continues to be a rare bright spot in harrowing economic times. Orders last week at grocery delivery service Instacart Inc. were up more than 150% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a source close to the company who asked not to be named discussing private business details. In China, when Covid-19 was bearing down hardest, Beijing Missfresh Ecommerce Co, another grocery delivery service, saw revenue grow 205% compared to a year earlier, one of its investors said.

The spike in demand is visible across the board. Pizza delivery companies are putting up job postings. Uber Technologies Inc. is transitioning ride-hailing drivers to its Uber Eats service. Companies like DoorDash Inc. and GrubHub Inc. are slashing or delaying their fees to restaurants in an effort to keep the hot-meals flowing. Matt Maloney, the CEO of GrubHub, said his company is receiving more new registrations from restaurants than it can process.

Investors in food delivery companies now frame their services as forces for public good. "The top priority should be winning the war against the virus," said Paul Hudson, chief investment officer at Glade Brook Capital Partners, which backs Instacart. "Online order and safe delivery is a critical solution in this crisis." Glade Brook also backs Capsule, a pharmaceutical delivery company that has seen its business spike as people look to avoid standing in crowded drug stores. 

It helps that officials have endorsed food delivery. City governments have told restaurants to shut down in-house service, and some cafes and restaurants have removed seating to make it clear to diners they are not welcome to stay. President Donald Trump this week stressed the importance to public health of drive-thrus, as well as delivery and pickup.

The World Health Organization doesn’t have a recommendation when it comes to delivery services. But public health experts believe food delivery can be a relatively safe way to get food in a time of self-quarantines and shelter-in-place orders. “Food is really not a factor here in transmission,” said Benjamin Chapman, professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. “The really big risk factors are just being around ill people.”

Food delivery service are making changes to reduce risk. Some are encouraging drivers to drop off food without making direct contact with the customer.

Experts say there are things customers should do to protect themselves as well. “If you let it sit for a while before you pick it up, then bring it in and wash your hands, that will also further reduce the risk,” said Anne Liu, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University. “The risk of transmission through delivered grocery goods is low to begin with.”

Some of the risks inherent in an increased reliance on delivery food predate the Covid-19 outbreak. “People need to keep everything in perspective and try to eat a healthy diet whether they're ordering it online or preparing it at home,” said Craig Hedberg, the co-director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence.

Maloney of GrubHub was careful when discussing the safety benefits of his company's services. “I am not a scientist and I’m not the right person to comment on the safety,” he said. An investor in another food delivery company said he would avoid ordering a salad for safety reasons, but thought hot food was fine.

Salad is probably just as safe as hot food, according to Chapman. Even sushi is okay—at least when it comes to the coronavirus. “I think it's as safe as it always was,” he said. “There's always a risk with sushi.”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.