A CHINESE takeaway which delivered a curry containing a human tooth has kept its four-star rating after an inspection.

Newtown Cantonese Takeaway has retained its rating following an inspection from Worcestershire Regulatory Services, which was prompted after Stephanie McDonough and David Burrows reported the restaurant after finding a large molar tooth in a pork curry.

The manager Mr Chen, who would only provide his surname, said: “The inspector checked all the staff to see if we have any teeth missing, which we don’t. We don’t know where the tooth came from. If necessary, all of the staff are willing to do a DNA test to prove it’s not our tooth.

"This inspection is proof that there is no problem at all with hygiene at the shop.”

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The food hygiene report said the food safety management system is in place and up to date.

The report also said staff do not re-pack cooked meat in packaging that’s been used for other foods – staff use fresh packaging to prevent possible contamination.

The storage area is clean and the product stored is free from contamination.

Mr Chen, who said he was surprised about the tooth, offered the couple a free meal and a full refund, but they only accepted the £6.30 refund.

Helen Cameron, food safety manager at Worcestershire Regulatory Services, said: “A lab report has confirmed it was a human molar tooth that was passed to us by the complainant. We have carried out investigations at Newtown Cantonese into their food preparation methods and we are satisfied that the business takes all reasonable steps to ensure food safety.

“On 21 January 2020 a separate food safety inspection was made, and the business was given a food hygiene rating of four out of five.

“While it must have been an unpleasant and stressful experience for the complainant to find a human tooth in their food, I am satisfied that there are no grounds for formal action against Newtown Cantonese as there is no evidence to indicate how the tooth entered the food chain."

Mr Chen said: “Hopefully customers will not jump to the conclusion about the tooth, as it's definitely not from the shop. We have had lots of prank calls - people have been asking for a tooth in the curry. We have a good reputation at the shop. It is a well-established business that’s been going for over 10 years."

Peter Bowdery, scientific officer who analysed the tooth, said: “The size and shape of the tooth appear to be consistent with the tooth being of human origin."

Mr Chen added: “We would like to thank all our customers that still come to our shop. We are appreciative of their support. We can promise to maintain our standards and to get even better in the future.”