Odour control technologies in the food industry

Did you know that odours from cooking, frying, processing and by-product handling are no longer just a nuisance, but also carry serious and real business, regulatory and social risks?

It is natural that food production goes hand in hand with odours and odour generation, but they must be managed and neutralised. Because of residents' complaints, tightening environmental regulations and continuous inspections, odour control is no longer just a supplementary solution but has become a basic technological requirement in food processing plants.

In recent years we have completed several projects in which, by introducing modern odour control systems, we managed to significantly reduce odour emissions, while plant operations remained uninterrupted.

Innovative odour control in a large-scale slaughterhouse

At a high-capacity rural slaughterhouse, odour emissions from the ventilation system of the livestock lairage had to be reduced as early as ten years ago. The air extracted from the building of several thousand cubic metres was exhausted by industrial roof fans, and the characteristic manure-like smell could be noticed not only in the nearby village but also further away, which justified intervention by the authorities.

The solution was to install an osmogenic barrier odour control system which doses the odour-neutralising agent directly into the exhaust air stream.

Measurements after installation showed clear results:

• initial odour concentration: 143 OU/m³

• after treatment: 14 OU/m³

This meant an odour reduction of more than 90% and ensured the plant's regulatory compliance.

Comprehensive system expansion with full plant coverage

During later plant developments, new technological units – singeing, scalding, dehairing and casing processing areas – also caused a significant odour load, so in 2021 we expanded the odour control system further so that, instead of a single ventilation point, it can treat almost the entire volume of air extracted from the plant.

As a result of the conversion:

• the environmental odour load decreased,

• residents' complaints stopped,

• the plant consistently complies with environmental regulations,

• operation has become secure in the long term.

  
  

Premium food production without odour nuisance

A food plant in a small Hungarian village produces premium, rendered fat-based products that we spread on our bread from small jars at breakfast.

The production process involves processing poultry by-products, which comes with intense and disturbing odour emissions.

The four rendering kettles operating there share two exhaust stacks, where the measured odour concentration was extremely high:

• 2000 OU/m³

• 2300 OU/m³

To solve this effectively, we introduced a dual odour control technology:

• a stack-top nozzle system that sprays the odour control agent directly into the exhaust air,

• an ultrasonic atomiser that mixes a 5–10 micron aerosol into the greasy air via the suction side of the fan.

As a result of the intervention, the odour concentration in the samples was:

• 107 OU/m³

• 113 OU/m³

This represents an odour reduction of over 95%, meeting environmental requirements and completely ending the complaints of local residents.

Odour control is no longer an option but a basic requirement

For food processing plants, managing odour emissions is now just as much a part of the technology as ventilation or wastewater treatment.

Using modern odour control systems ensures at the same time:

• legal compliance,

• environmentally friendly operation,

• acceptance by local residents,

• operational reliability,

• long-term sustainable production.

Modern odour control technologies allow food production to operate with minimal environmental impact even at high output.

In the coming years, odour-free operation will not be a competitive advantage but a basic principle of the industry, and this calls for a partner who not only supplies equipment but guarantees measurable results.