Food Safety Situation in the Online-to-Offline Food Delivery Industry from the Perspective of Delivery Riders in China

-The Case of Shanghai-

Abstract

People’s daily lives have been fundamentally changed by the rapid development of the Internet, smartphones and e-commerce. Especially in China, the online-to-offline (O2O) food delivery industry grew explosively in 2014 as increasing numbers of consumers started to use online food-ordering platform services. Based on a case study conducted in Shanghai, this research investigates the food safety situation of the O2O food delivery industry from the perspective of delivery riders. The authors conclude that the main factors affecting food safety in the O2O food delivery industry are raw materials, processing and packaging boxes made with inferior materials. For reasons of business efficiency and in order to comply with delivery times, the following issues pertinent to each subject will affect food safety: The platform partners with unlicensed restaurants, the rider fails to completely disinfect the distribution container, and the rider is involved in a traffic accident. There is still much room for improvement in the area of strengthening regulations and supervision by government in the O2O food delivery industry. In addition, efforts must also be taken to ensure the safety of riders.