Food factory worker faces jail for contaminating pots of Nando’s hummus with rubber gloves and paper towels
- Garry Jones, 38, was caught on CCTV spitting into a plastic pot
An Evesham factory worker has admitted to spitting into plastic pots on the assembly line and stuffing tubs of Nando’s hummus with paper towels and rubber gloves.
Garry Jones, 38, could face up to six months in prison for spiking containers with fish sauce, metal ring pulls and plastic bags.
The tampering took place at Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company, which supplies to Nando’s and other restaurants across the UK.
Jones admitted contaminating or interfering with goods with intent at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday July 12.
The court heard he deliberately added fish sauce to non-fish dressings and contaminated others with sesame and chilli sauce.
Garry Jones, 38, who was caught on CCTV spitting into pots, pictured outside Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday July 12
Jones could face up to six months in prison for spiking containers with fish sauce, metal ring pulls and plastic bags
Mark Hambling, prosecuting, said this could be dangerous for people with food allergies as some products state ‘does not contain fish’.
Nando’s discovered the foreign objects in the tubs and destroyed them before they reached any customers.
‘Tubs began being returned to the company as contaminated leading the firm to investigate,’ said Mr Hambling.
He added on one occasion Jones was caught on CCTV poking a hole in a plastic container and spitting into the tub.
The charge reads: ‘Between October 1, 2022, and November 1, 2022, with intent to cause public alarm or injury to members of the public – contaminated or interfered with goods.
‘Namely 24 hummus tubs with rubber gloves, plastics bags and metal ring pulls; metal ring pulls in tubs of sesame and ginger dressing, sesame miso dressing and Vietnamese chilli and ginger dressing; and poured fish sauce into dressings which should not contain fish.’
Jones also admitted burgling a co-worker’s home in Evesham on October 26 last year.
Andrew Davidson, defending, said Jones was a man of good character and described it as a ‘remarkable set of events’.
Jones has been bailed and is expected to return to court for sentencing on September 12
Mr Davidson said the defendant was ‘clearly a male with mental health issues’.
Judge Jonathan Salmon bailed Jones and ordered him to return to court for sentencing on September 12 where he faces up to six months in prison.
Jones is banned from entering Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company or any location where food is mass-produced.
Nick Martin, managing director of Harvey & Brockless, said: ‘Everyone at the company is shocked and appalled at the criminal actions of Garry Jones.
‘However, the robust quality assurance and product recall procedures in place at Harvey & Brockless meant that no contaminated products ever reached any end consumers.
‘As soon as we became aware of the contaminations taking place, we recalled the entire batch of products involved and communicated openly with all our customers and with the Environmental Health Officer.
‘This swift action meant all end consumers were fully protected from any contaminated products.
Jones tampered with Nando’s hummus pots at the factory of Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company in Evesham
‘The vast majority of the products involved never even reached their destination, and any items that did were quickly returned before reaching the end consumer.
‘This incident was obviously disturbing, but Harvey & Brockless is pleased that the Worcester Environmental Health Officer noted the ‘totally professional way’ the company dealt with resolving the matter.
‘Following this incident, we have fully reviewed all of our quality assurance and product recall procedures, and found that these all worked well.
‘We already had multiple CCTV cameras in operation at our site, but have now invested in extra security cameras to ensure that all areas are fully covered.’
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