Zomato Food Rescue service launched to help reduce food waste

To combat food waste, Zomato has introduced a new service called Food Rescue, which allows users to book food orders that have been cancelled by others at a lower price. When an order is cancelled, it will appear on the app for customers looking to place an order within a 3km radius of the delivery partner handling it. Customers can choose to book the cancelled order for themselves at a discounted price, without having to pay the original amount.

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal emphasised that the primary concern for the restaurant industry, as well as for customers who cancel their orders, is to "save the food from going to waste." The platform sees over 400,000 "perfectly good orders" getting cancelled for various reasons, despite having stringent policies in place, including a zero-refund policy.

How does Food Rescue work?

Once a customer cancels an order, it becomes available to other users looking to place an order. The app will show a pop-up featuring the order details and the discounted price to customers located within a 3km radius of the delivery partner. The pop-up will be visible for a few minutes; if no one claims the order, it will be offered to additional users to "ensure freshness." Notably, the cancelled order will not be visible to the customer who cancelled it, nor to others from the same area.

When a customer successfully books the cancelled order and makes the payment, the funds will be transferred to the original customer via an online method, along with the restaurant receiving its share. According to Zomato, the company will not retain any proceeds, except for the necessary government taxes.

It is important to note that the Food Rescue service does not apply to distance-sensitive items such as ice creams, shakes, and other perishable goods. Zomato also ensures that customers will not see orders that do not align with their dietary preferences, allowing vegetarians to avoid non-vegetarian options.