Odor Elimination in the Food
Processing Industry
RALPH STONE, President
RICHARD L. KAHLE, Project Engineer
Ralph Stone and Company, Inc., Engineers
Los Angeles, California
INTRODUCTION
There are four major categories of noxious food-processing odors: 1) Odors
associated with organic decomposition, especially of animal origin; 2) Odors relating
to physiological process, primarily excretion; 3) High food odors which become
increasingly obnoxious in proportion to their degree of concentration, such as onions
and cabbage; and, 4) Odors which may be absorbed into unrelated foods, such as fish
odors which invade meat or produce, or high cheese odors whose presence is offensive in blander dairy products such as milk, butter, cream, or cottage cheese.
Noxious odors may be an offensive nuisance or unhealthful for the community
into which they are discharged as well as for the labor force in the involved processing plant; they may be an index of the presence of bacterial contamination; and
their inappropriate absorption by other foods destroys the marketability of the
affected product.
Minimizing or eliminating odor pollution usually involves several or all of the
following: 1) Cleanliness, including a minimum of once/day cleanup; the use of
stainless steel, or other inert, non-corrosive utensils; and the use of ceramic brick,
plastic, or other impervious flooring material which can be hosed down with steam or
water; 2) The use of fresh raw products; 3) The storage of raw products in sealed
containers, or under refrigeration if they must be stored prior to or after processing;
4) Rapid processing procedures to minimize storage requirements; 5) Concentration
on one product-line between cleanups rather than multiple processing which can
result in undesirable odor absorption; 6) Planned solid waste separation and handling
including the use of belts, containers, and screens to facilitate removal of solid matter
to trucks for ultimate disposal to a landfill, hog farm, etc.; 7) Enclosure of equipment within buildings having secondary air filtering systems; 8) The use of closed
system processes; 9) The use of tall roof vents or stacks; and, 10) Diversion of odor
control onto the raw materials producers, including: quality control at the source to
reduce waste; pre-washing of vegetables and fruits; and withholding animal feeding to
reduce the presence of fecal matter.
The food processing industry includes: dairies; canneries; frozen foods; meat
packing; bottling; and dehydration, including freeze-dry and heat drying methods.
Noxious odors associated with food processing may affect the process plant
employee, the food being processed, and the surrounding community.
This paper will discuss the origin, characteristics, and effects of processing
plant odor production, with special emphasis on the methods currently available for
odor control and elimination.
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