Ordering your favourite comfort food should end with a satisfied sigh, not a stomach-churning shock – but for one Ahmedabad customer, a routine Zomato delivery turned into a recipe for revulsion when he discovered a live insect swimming in his butter chicken. Sanjeev Singh’s nightmare meal, shared in a raw X post on January 11, 2026, has ignited a firestorm of disgust and demands for accountability, with the graphic photo of the bug in the gravy going viral and racking up thousands of views overnight. What started as a simple supper plan – a Rs 285.65 order from a local spot – spiralled into a saga of sickness (he vomited twice and couldn’t eat a bite) and scepticism about Zomato’s quality checks. If you’re one of the many scrolling in stunned silence over the Zomato insect in food complaint that’s dominating feeds on January 13, 2026, this isn’t just a one-off ick – it’s a wake-up call to the hidden hazards lurking in our lunch deliveries, where a single creepy-crawly can crawl under the skin of an entire app’s reputation. From Sanjeev’s desperate demand for a refund to Zomato’s swift (if somewhat scripted) sorry, let’s unpack the plate of problems that’s got everyone eyeing their next order with extra suspicion.
The Customer’s Horrifying Experience
Sanjeev Singh (@Sanjeevs1010 on X) placed an order for butter chicken (Order ID: 7674276826) through Zomato. Upon opening the package, he was horrified to spot a clear insect inside the dish. The sight was so disturbing that Sanjeev couldn’t eat anything afterwards and reportedly vomited twice due to the shock and potential health risk.
In his viral tweet tagging @zomatocare and @zomato, Sanjeev wrote:
“I ordered butter chicken and found an insect inside. Wasn’t able to eat anything afterwards. Even vomited seriously 2 times. This is a serious concern. Also, my money is wasted. I need refund.”
He attached a photo showing the insect clearly visible in the creamy butter chicken gravy, making the claim hard to dismiss. The post quickly gained traction, with users expressing disgust and sharing similar past experiences.
Here are some visuals from similar viral food safety incidents
Zomato’s Official Response
Zomato’s customer support team (@zomatocare) responded publicly on January 12, 2026, acknowledging the severity:
“It’s really unfortunate to hear what you have gone through, Sanjeev. Rest assured, we’ll take this up with the restaurant partner.”
They further directed the conversation to private DMs for resolution: “We’ve addressed your concern through DM. Please take a moment to check it out.”
While Zomato promised escalation to the unnamed restaurant partner, no immediate refund was mentioned in the public reply, and the restaurant itself was not identified in reports. This standard response—public empathy followed by private handling—is common for such cases, but it often frustrates users who seek transparency.
Why This Incident Hit Hard: Broader Food Safety Concerns
This isn’t an isolated case. Recent months have seen multiple viral complaints about foreign objects in Zomato/Swiggy orders, including worms in salads, cockroaches in biryani, and even AI-edited fake complaints (as revealed by Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal in early 2026 podcasts). The platform has tightened verification with AI checks, “karma scores” for users, and restaurant audits, but incidents persist.
Users in comments flooded with stories:
- Repeated bad experiences from the same restaurants
- Calls for stricter FSSAI enforcement
- Warnings to “avoid outside food” and stick to home-cooked meals
The timing adds irony—coming shortly after CEO revelations about fraud attempts (like AI-added insects for refunds), this genuine-seeming case fuels scepticism on both sides.
Public Reactions: Anger, Memes, and Calls for Change
Netizens reacted strongly:
- “This is why I stopped ordering non-veg from delivery apps—too risky!”
- “Zomato should blacklist such restaurants immediately.”
- Humorous takes: “Extra protein loading… free of cost!”
- Serious concerns: Tags to @fssaiindia for investigation
The thread amplified discussions on hygiene in cloud kitchens and quick-service restaurants, especially in urban areas like Delhi-NCR (user’s likely location).
