Blue Apron: The Dark Truth

Blue Apron's incredible success in what is quickly becoming a crowded market is certainly impressive, however, in the need to expand quickly in a short period of time, it seems that some important things have fallen to the wayside, namely food safety and taking care of its employees.

BuzzFeed released a comprehensive report of its findings, titled "The Not-So-Wholesome Reality Behind the Making of Your Meal Kit," which found that "in the rush to scale its supply chain at the speed of startup, the company has had health and safety violations, violent incidents, and unhappy workers at one of its packing facilities."

At its Richmond, California, packing facility, there have been "dozens of instances of workplace violence, threats, and unsafe working conditions," Eater detailed. Employees reported that the warehouse is kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit despite the fact that it is full of employees who work long hours for very little pay.

On the food safety front, Blue Apron has received more Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations than any of its competitors, with more than $25,000 in proposed penalties.