In Evansville, Indiana, a woman identified as Stevenson is facing felony charges. The woman is accused of spraying a noxious substance on food ordered via DoorDash. The situation in Kentucky has led to an enormous outcry. It has brought to the forefront some significant risks to food safety within the delivery service industry.
Customers began reporting acute symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea only after eating the food delivered. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office quickly acted on these alarming complaints. Significant exposures were documented, including off-target vomiting and mucosal burning in mouth/nose/throat/stomach. Inspections found that at least once, Stevenson sprayed the food with pepper spray before dropping it off.
Detectives had initially reached out to Stevenson for an interview about the incident and said she refused to come in. They issued a warrant for her arrest. The felony charges include battery resulting in moderate injury and consumer product tampering. She is currently awaiting extradition to Indiana.
DoorDash deserves real credit for having moved quickly here in response to this alarming case. A spokesperson for the company stated, “We have absolutely zero tolerance for this type of appalling behavior.” They verified that they have permanently banned Stevenson from using the DoorDash platform. The company is fully cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation.
The incident below has created a public outcry over customer safety in food delivery. As of publication, it was unclear if Stevenson had an attorney who could speak to her defense. The severity of the allegations has prompted discussions about the need for stricter regulations and oversight in the food delivery sector.
