I have misophonia — a mental health condition that makes sufferers extremely sensitive to certain repetitive noises, and eating sounds are among the most common triggers. So it was with much dismay that I recently joined a Zoom call for work and discovered that one of the attendees was eating sushi. I couldn't tell you a single thing that was discussed because all I could hear was lick, smack, slurp, gulp. While I may not like people eating on video calls, is it actually rude to do it? Especially on work calls?
The case for the lunch-and-munch video call is that remote workers attend an average of 7.3 video calls per week, according to a 2026 survey. At some point, lunch hour collides with calendar reality. Sometimes efficiency wins. Eating together over video has genuinely become a team-bonding tool. My husband works for a fully remote company, and once a month, they all "eat lunch together" on camera as a team social event.
Eating is a basic human need, not a character flaw. Remote work has permanently collapsed the boundary between "office" and "home." We let in-office workers eat at their desks or grab coffee during a presentation. Remote workers deserve the same basic grace.
However, the case against the graze-and-daze video call starts with sound. Eating is loud, and microphones are unforgiving. Research suggests that up to 15% of adults have clinically significant misophonia. That means in your average eight-person Zoom meeting, you've got statistically excellent odds that someone is quietly suffering.
Second: optics. There's something about watching a co-worker eat that can come across as unprofessional. You wouldn't eat a burrito bowl in the middle of a conference-room presentation. Third: It's just genuinely difficult to communicate with your mouth full. Finally: If your attention is split between your lunch and the meeting, your colleagues are getting half of you.
In my poll, 60% went with "it depends." Context is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. On a formal presentation or job interview? Put the food down. A casual internal check-in? The expectations are lower. What you're eating matters, too. A banana? Fine. Anything that forces you to open your mouth wide enough to park a bus, save it for after.
Turning your camera off while you eat is thoughtful, but don't vanish entirely without warning. A quick "I'm going to turn my camera off for a sec" in the chat costs you nothing. Also, if your company's video calls feel like conference rooms, treat them accordingly. Hydration is important, and generally fine. Just please — do not slurp.
The verdict: It's not overly rude, as long as you're intentional and thoughtful about it. If you wouldn't eat during the in-person version of this meeting, don't eat during the virtual one. Eating on a video call isn't inherently rude, but eating loudly, messily or conspicuously without any regard for the people watching and listening is.
Mute when you chew. Keep it quick. Choose quiet food. And for the love of all that is good, do not eat sushi on a Zoom call. I speak from trauma.