A PACKET of hot chips that seemed a little on the light side has sparked a flurry of admissions from food delivery workers that they regularly sneak a bite of orders.

Zach Mander got a burger for dinner yesterday, delivered via a popular app-based service, and said the bag looked like it had been opened.

“I think on the way to my house, he helped himself to a chip,” Mr Mander said on his national radio show Collective Noun.

It prompted several drivers and riders to call in and reveal the practice is widespread.

Natasha said she delivered pizzas for Domino’s and would often snack on orders on the way.

“Every time I went for a delivery, I took bits of toppings off people’s pizzas,” she said.

“I also took at least one of their chocolate brownies, so they didn’t know. I once took someone’s churros and it fell out when I gave it to them because I didn’t close the box up properly. We pretty much all did it.”

Food delivery has exploded in popularity with the introduction of apps like Uber Eats and Deliveroo, allowing restaurants and outlets to easily distribute their items to households.

Recent research from comparison site finder.com.au has found Aussies spend $2.6 billion a year on food and drink delivery through such services.

Barry, who works for a major delivery service, said “it’s done all the time” and he so regularly sneaks food that he has figured out how chains rank on the chip front.

“Nando’s have the best chips,” he declared.

The show heard from restaurants that tampering with food has become so common that they have taken to stapling closed paper bags.

“Maccas is a little bit harder because they double bag their orders,” Barry said. “They do leave the straw in the frappés though.”

When asked if he had sipped on someone’s drink, he replied: “Hell yeah!”