Factory worker jailed after lacing hummus made for Nando's with rubber gloves and metal ring pulls
3 October 2023, 15:29 | Updated: 3 October 2023, 20:24
A factory worker in Birmingham has been jailed after lacing hummus meant for Nando's with rubber gloves and metal ring pulls.
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Garry Jones was working for Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company at the time, a manufacturing firm that supplies restaurants such as Nando's.
In his role, Jones was responsible for collecting ingredients that were needed for cooking on the following day.
On one shift, he was caught contaminating salad dressing and hummus with with rubber gloves, plastic bags and metal ring pulls, affecting dozens of products.
Footage discovered in an internal investigation showed Jones mixing an unknown substance into ingredients that would be prepared on the following day.
Jones was arrested by cops on November 10. It later emerged Jones also broke into a colleague's house through a window to steal their pink hairbrush.
The factory worker has admitted contaminating goods and burglary. He has been sentenced to 42 months in jail.
"This was an extremely disturbing case that could have had far-reaching implications had the defendant not been caught," Mehree Kamranfar, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, said.
"Jones knowingly and maliciously contaminated food products that were going to be distributed to some of the most popular high street restaurants across the country.
"The cross-contamination caused alarm both within the company and externally, as Jones’s utter disregard, particularly in mixing fish sauce with raw ingredients, could have threatened serious harm to those with allergies.
"In addition, sabotaging the food products supplied by Harvey & Brockless not only cost the firm thousands of pounds, it also threatened to destroy the company’s reputation.
"When faced with the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution team Jones pleaded guilty to both charges."
