A food factory worker spat into Nando’s sauce tubs and contaminated hummus dips with ringlets and rubber gloves, a court heard.

Garry Jones, 38, is accused of puncturing containers of sauces and dips while working on the production line. A court heard he deliberately added fish sauce to non-fish dressings and contaminated others with sesame and chili sauce.

Jones tampered with the sauces while working at Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company in Evesham, Worcs., the court heard.

The charge reads: “Between October 1, 2022 and November 1, 2022, with intent to raise public alarm or injure members of the public – contaminated or hindered with goods.

“Namely 24 hummus tubs with rubber gloves, plastic bags and metal rings; metal ring pulls into bowls of sesame and ginger dressing, sesame miso dressing and Vietnamese chilli and ginger dressing; and fish sauce poured into dressings that shouldn’t contain fish.

Prosecutor Mark Hambling said Jones was involved in manufacturing the company’s tubs of sauces and dips, which were then distributed to restaurants across the country, including the Nando’s group.

He said: “Tubs were returned to the company as contaminated, prompting the company to investigate.”

He added that restaurants, where the product was later served, would say “contains no fish” on their menus – so it would be potentially deadly if consumed by someone with an intolerance.

Mr Hambling said Jones was caught on CCTV once poking a hole in a plastic container, into which he then spat.

Jones is also charged with burglary with intent to steal from a colleague’s home. Defensively, Mark Turnbull described the allegations as “unusual” as they were one he had never seen before.

Jones, from Evesham, has not pleaded an allegation of deliberately contaminating/disrupting property.

He was granted conditional bail and ordered to appear at Worcester Crown Court on 12 July.