An investigation by Masticater has found Uber Eats is putting users at ‘significant risk’ of E. coli and Salmonella by allowing restaurants with no food hygiene scores to operate unchallenged on its platform.

Following an in-depth investigation of Uber Eats in London, it can also be revealed:

There are 15 restaurants live on Uber’s website with a ‘0’ hygiene rating. According to the Food Standards Agency, they are required to make ‘urgent improvements’ because of diabolical hygiene practices

Uber Eats is failing to enforce its own safety standards as over 40 restaurants operate with a hygiene score of ‘1’ or ‘0’ (which is below the ‘2’ Uber requires)

Staff at the internet giant are supporting restaurants with marketing despite having no rating and admit they will never visit restaurants using the app.

Currently, unlike competitors Just Eat and Deliveroo, Uber Eats does not link to the Food Standard Agency (FSA) on restaurant pages for customers to access ratings.

In London, restaurants can have a food hygiene rating ranging from ‘0’, for “in need of urgent improvement”, to ‘5’, for “very good”. Reviews cut across three main areas: hygienic food handling, cleanliness of facilities, and management of food safety.

“E. coli, salmonella – no records, premises dirty, evidence of pest activity.” — FSA comments on an Uber Eats restaurant

Whilst registering a fake restaurant with Uber Eats under the name ‘Ripley’s Chicken’, when asked about food hygiene, a representative from Uber’s restaurant team told Masticater they “require a hygiene rating of 2 or higher” in order to operate but, “Uber Eats will not be calling to your restaurant” once on the platform.

According to the FSA, a ‘2’ stands for “improvement necessary.”

When challenged that a would-be competitor was operating on Uber Eats with a score of ‘1’, meaning “major improvement is necessary”, Masticater was reassured by Uber that it has a strict policy on enforcing standards. The restaurant team explained, “we review all 8000+ of our restaurants in the UK every 3 months to ensure they still hold the required rating.”

There is significant evidence to dispute this claim.

Dilkush Tandoori was awarded a ‘0’ rating during its most recent inspection in October 2017. They told Masticater they’d been with Uber Eats “since September.” This suggests Uber brought them onto the platform having either not done quality checks or by neglecting their own rules.

Another restaurant presenting a risk to customers, Boom Boom Chicken, said they’d been with Uber Eats for about “one…one and half years.” They were inspected by the FSA in February and given a ‘0’, meaning they’ve operated unchallenged by Uber for nearly 10 months.

As well as the delivery service itself, for being partnered with Uber Eats, restaurants are supported by “marketing, data analysis, customer support” according to their restaurant team. Some restaurants also benefit from getting Uber’s new products exclusively before being rolled out to the full market.

In September, Uber Eats promoted its delivery service going 24/7 within the Greater London area for certain restaurants. Chicken Cottage, a familiar chain, was one beneficiary of this new service.

At the time, two Chicken Cottage branches, Hammersmith and Hampstead, had a score of ‘1’ based on inspections undertaken just before the promotion. In their inspections, both were told major improvement was necessary to improve their food safety. Both continue to operate on Uber’s platform despite being made aware by Masticater.

Uber Eats did not respond to a request for comment when asked why they did not display food hygiene information to users.

But how dangerous is a restaurant with no rating?

Deadly.

In Bethnal Green, often called the cultural heart of the East End, there is a thriving food community. Many of the local restaurants operate on food delivery websites. On Uber Eats, one of the highest rated restaurants in the local area, with a 4.5 gold star rating, is Dosirak.

Dosirak scored ‘0’ during its last food safety review undertaken 4 months ago. In a critical report of the restaurant’s hygiene, the inspector concluded the kitchen had “evidence of pest activity in the storeroom and prep kitchen” where chicken is left open “in a box on the floor.”

In comments that should act as a wake-up call to Uber, the FSA wrote that Dosriak’s kitchen poses a ‘significant risk’ of E. coli and Salmonella to customers. Both are poisonous bacterias that can hospitalise and even cause death.

The inspector evidenced claims by saying cleanliness of the restaurant was beyond poor with dirty fridges, pest activity, a toilet with “no paper towels or soap” and zero records of safety monitoring or control since February.

Dosirak’s last FSA inspection was in early August, well over Uber’s 3 month audit period. Frighteningly, the report suggests the takeaway had previous hygiene issues by writing in its conclusion “last years pest issue” had been followed up.

When Masticater spoke to Dosirak, they boastfully commented of being partnered to Uber Eats “for more than a year now.” On Uber’s website, Dosirak has a 4.5 satisfaction rating based on 200+ reviews earning it a gold star. Only a few restaurants in Bethnal Green have a gold star.

When its rating system was launched in 2017, Ambika Krishnamachar, a product manager at Uber Eats, said it would “help [users] make a decision of which restaurant to eat at” and act as a “vote of confidence.” Little do these customers know the restaurants could make them seriously ill.

How did Masticater undertake its investigation?

The Food Standards Agency conducts annual inspections of all registered food businesses in the UK. Local authorities are responsible for carrying out inspections, scores are posted online and often in the premises themselves. Reports can also be gained via Freedom of Information requests.

Masticater reviewed London restaurants on the FSA database against the Uber Eats website. In cases where restaurant names seemed common or it was hard to tell if a takeaway was with the app, Masticater spoke to the restaurants to confirm.

Below is a list of London restaurants currently operating on Uber Eats with both ‘0’ and ‘1’ scores. This list is not exhaustive, some establishments may have been missed.

‘0’ rated – 15 restaurants

Adiva

Al-Safa Grill

Carolines Pizza

Other Side Fried

Peri Peri Corner

Dosirak

Haidy’s

West End Charcoal Grill

Boom Boom Chicken Delivery

Dilkush Tandoori

Meghna Tandoori

Baba G

Wedge Issue Pizza

Big Bang’s

Favourite Chicken Ribs

‘1’ rated – 28 restaurants:

Gabby’s

King Rooster

Lagos Island Kitchen

Perfect Fried Chicken

Rose Garden

Rooster’s Hut

Star Kebab & Pizza

Yummy Pizza Go

Blaze Grill

Chicken Village

Chicken World

Emparo Pizza

Delhi Bites

Paja

Rooster’s Spot

Chicken Cottage (Hampstead)

Chicken Cottage (Hammersmith)

Pepe’s Piri Piri

Fait Maison

Roni’s

Banah Mi Bay

Maemes Piri Piri

Panda Oriental

Rare London

Babylon Kebab & Pizza

Bagel Boss

Big Papa’s Peri Peri

Bubak Grill

Feel free to contact should you wish to see further evidence supporting statements above.

Dosirak inspection report