The Dark Side of 10-Minute Food Delivery: A Doctor’s Warning on Ultra-Processed Meals
In the fast-paced world of today, convenience often takes precedence over health. However, Orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder of NutriByte Wellness, Dr. Manan Vora, has raised an urgent alarm about the burgeoning trend of 10-minute food delivery services, offered by platforms like Zepto Café, Zomato’s Bistro, Swiggy Bolt and more. While these services claim to cater to our convenience, Dr. Vora argues that the health costs of such quick-commerce food deliveries are far too high to ignore.
As Dr. Vora emphasizes, delivering food in just 10 minutes necessitates preparing it in three minutes or less. The only way these companies achieve such speed is by relying on ultra-processed, ready-to-eat meals. This process involves pre-cooking, freezing, and microwaving food before it is delivered to customers. According to Dr. Vora, this not only compromises the freshness of the food but also poses serious health risks.
Health Risks of 10-Minute Food Deliveries
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been the subject of numerous studies, and the findings are alarming. As per Dr. Vora’s post, research shows that these foods are linked to a 12% increased risk of cancer and a 10% higher chance of developing cardiovascular diseases. They contribute to the rising obesity epidemic, affecting nearly 27.8% of Indian adults, and are associated with sugar spikes that heighten the risk of diabetes. Furthermore, their high trans-fat content is a known contributor to heart disease.
Dr. Vora warns that this push for ultra-fast food delivery is nothing more than a profit-driven strategy by companies to capitalize on our need for convenience. The risks associated with consuming such meals far outweigh the supposed benefits of receiving food a few minutes faster. The health dangers tied to these ultra-processed meals make them the most hazardous option among food delivery offerings. While Dr. Vora acknowledges that ordering food is sometimes unavoidable, he urges consumers to make wiser choices. Opt for freshly prepared meals, even if it takes a little longer to be delivered. He insists that the short wait for fresh food is a small price to pay to protect your long-term health.
In his message to major food delivery platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto, Dr. Vora makes it clear: “We don’t want ultra-processed garbage delivered in 10 minutes!”
Broader Implications of Junk Food Culture
Earlier, Shantanu Deshpande, the founder and CEO of men’s grooming brand Bombay Shaving Company, also expressed concern over the rising popularity of fast food delivery in India, describing it as a potential health crisis.
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In a LinkedIn post, Deshpande criticized the reliance on frozen purees, pre-cooked curries, and old vegetables reheated and garnished with coriander to appear fresh. “These are then slammed onto some two-wheeler rider who races like Mad Max to deliver it to your door in 10 minutes because you couldn’t wait another 15 minutes or were too lazy to cook a simple meal like daal chawal,” he wrote.
He further added, “Cook time: 2 minutes, delivery time: 8 minutes. A ‘quick-commerce for food’ founder told me this, and I lost my mind. Our junk food addiction, fueled by 49-rupee pizzas, 20-rupee energy drinks, and 30-rupee burgers, is leading us towards the same problems as China and the US, but without the economic cover needed for health.”
