TAKEAWAY bosses fear their new business will be "massively damaged" after it was slapped with the lowest possible food hygiene rating.

Sal and Kerry Sefil, owners of Pizzarella on Walney Island have only been open since April this year, but after a visit by council inspectors on October 23 they were hit with a zero food hygiene rating, which means ‘urgent improvement is necessary’.

Following the inspection, the couple, who have made immediate changes, hit out at the rating process labelling it "unfair".

Mr Sefil said: “At our first visit the inspector came in to look around and questioned how the inside of the doner kebab was cooked and yet this is how doner kebabs are cooked everywhere all over the UK.

“They also said our thermometer wasn’t working when actually he pressed the Fahrenheit button, which prevented it from showing a correct reading.

"As a new business this can really affect us and damage our reputation before we have even started.

“It seems unfair that we have received a score of zero, when we have had two visits, made changes and the inspectors weren’t agreeing with each other."

Food hygiene bosses at Barrow Borough Council defended the process adding the couple had "ample time to ensure that they were meeting their obligations to produce safe food".

Mrs Sefil said: “At the second visit the inspectors said everything was fine and the only thing we had to do was to replace the thermometer. All our paperwork was up to date, so why after this second visit does our score remain zero?

“I can’t see why the council don’t send two people at the first inspection so we can at least get two views on it.

“This is our livelihood and if we truly felt our food wasn’t safe then why would we allow our children to eat here?

"A rating like this can be massively damaging.”

A Barrow Council spokesman said: “The premises had been trading for some six months before the inspection on October 23.

"This gave them ample time to ensure that they were meeting their obligations to produce safe food.

“The business failed to register with the Environmental Health Service as this is our trigger for making contact with them sometimes before they open. It is their responsibility to register 28 days before opening.

“The issue regarding the doner kebab meat was in relation to the hot holding temperature in their baine-marie. They were recording the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit and were not aware of the correct hot holding temperature for this product.

“Under the terms of the Food Standards Agencies Food Hygiene Rating Scheme we cannot alter the rating until after either an appeal has been disposed of or a request for a re-visit is made. As no appeal had been raised the rating would be placed on the FSA website.

"The Food Business Operator (FBO) was advised of his right of appeal and also how to request a re-visit on October 24 but did not take any of these options.

“There has only been one programmed inspection and that sets the food hygiene rating. Subsequent inspections have been made to ensure the required improvements are made.

“Programmed inspections are normally carried out by only one officer, this is current practice throughout the whole of the UK.”