Zomato Launches ‘Food Rescue’ to Resell Cancelled Orders and Tackle Food Waste

New Delhi, 11th November 2024: Zomato has launched a new initiative called “Food Rescue,” allowing food orders cancelled by customers to be resold in an effort to reduce food waste. The app, which sees approximately 400,000 cancellations every month, will now offer these orders at what CEO Deepinder Goyal described as an “unbeatable price.” The feature will notify users within a 3-kilometre radius of delivery partners carrying cancelled orders, enabling them to purchase the food, still in its original and untampered packaging, within minutes.

Food waste has been a growing issue for food delivery platforms. Rival Swiggy reportedly faces 380,000 monthly cancellations, leading to considerable food waste, enough to feed thousands each year. Zomato’s “Food Rescue” comes after a previous policy change, where the company halted refunds on cancelled orders due to false claims from customers about food quality.

The “Food Rescue” feature follows strict guidelines—only items that can be resold quickly and remain fresh will be listed, excluding sensitive or perishable items like ice cream. Additionally, vegetarian orders will be offered exclusively to vegetarian customers. In a recent blog post, Zomato clarified that cancelled orders would only be available for a limited time to ensure freshness.

Restaurant partners have shown strong support for this initiative, with almost all opting to participate. Zomato also stated that the proceeds from resold food will be shared between the original customer (if they paid online) and the restaurant, with the platform only covering government-mandated fees. Delivery partners will also be compensated for these additional trips, aligning with Zomato’s mission to minimize food waste.

Zomato’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter) sparked public feedback, with some users voicing concerns about potential quality issues if restaurants become aware that their orders may be resold. Others raised logistical challenges, such as delivery partners managing multiple orders. Additionally, some pointed out that given Zomato’s vast service area, the chances of accessing discounted orders may be slim. However, several users proposed alternative methods to curb food waste, including allowing delivery partners to donate unused orders locally.