Odour Control in Fish Meal: Simple Ways to Keep It Clean and Fresh

If you have passed by a fish meal plant, you might remember its smell till today. Yes, the smell of fish meal is very bad, there is no doubt about it. Yes, it is an important ingredient for animal feed and fertilizers, but the odor that comes out from it can create many problems for the nearby environment.

People can complain because of its smell, regulators can take strict action against you and your company's image can also be tarnished. That's why odor control in fish meals is such an important topic today.

In this blog, we’ll explain:

• Why fish meal smells in the first place

• Where the odour comes from in the process

• Easy-to-understand methods that companies use to control odours

• Simple steps plants can take every day to keep smells under control

Why Does Fish Meal Smell?

You make fish meals by cooking, pressing, drying, and grinding fish or fish waste. Some gases are released during this process that make a strong smell.

The main reasons behind this are:

• Trimethylamine (TMA): A gas that smells fishy and strong.

• Ammonia: A sharp, irritating smell.

• Hydrogen sulfide: A “rotten egg” smell.

These gases escape at different points in the process of making fish meal, such as when it is being cooked, dried, or even when the leftover liquid (called stickwater) is left over. They spread into the air around the plant if they aren't kept in check.

Where Does the Odour Come From?

Here are the main points in the process where odours are created:

• Storing Raw Fish: Fish that isn't used right away starts to break down and smell stronger.

• Cooking and drying make gases escape into the air.

• Grinding and pressing make vapors that escape through vents.

• Stickwater, or wastewater, smells bad and makes the problem worse if it isn't treated.

Knowing these stages helps in choosing the right solution for odour control.

Common Odour Control Methods

Today, fish meal plants use different methods to catch and get rid of smelly things before they get out into the air. In simple terms, let's look at them:

1. Biofilters

Air is passed through a filter filled with natural material like wood chips or compost. Microorganisms living inside eat up the smelly gases and clean the air.

• Removes gases like TMA and ammonia

• Very eco-friendly and cost-effective

For fish meal plants evaluating engineered biofilter and odour control systems, Amalgam Biotech distributes advanced biofilter and odour control technology systems for industrial fish processing facilities through its partnership with Aerox B.V., a specialist in industrial biological air treatment.

2. Wet Scrubbers

In this method, the smelly air is washed with water or a special chemical liquid. The liquid absorbs the gases and removes the odour.

• Works well for hydrogen sulfide and ammonia

• Can be made stronger with oxidizing chemicals

Amalgam Biotech also supplies wet scrubber and chemical odour control systems for hydrogen sulphide and TMA removal through its partnership with AmerAir, which offers engineered scrubbing solutions for high-intensity industrial odour applications.

3. Condensers and Heat Recovery

Hot air carrying smelly gases is cooled down. When the vapours cool, they turn into liquid and are collected instead of escaping into the air.

• Reduces odour

• Saves energy by reusing heat

4. Oxidative Scrubbers

This is a more powerful type of wet scrubber. It uses oxidizing chemicals like hypochlorite that break down smelly gases completely.

• Very effective for removing trimethylamine and sulfur gases

• Useful in areas with strict environmental rules

5. Activated Carbon Filters

These filters trap bad smells by absorbing gases into carbon particles.

• Good for low concentrations of odour

• Often used as a “final stage” after other systems

Best Practices for Daily Operations

Apart from technology, simple everyday practices can also reduce odours a lot:

• Process fish quickly – Don’t store raw fish for long. Use it as soon as possible.

• Good ventilation – Enclose smelly areas and direct air into treatment systems.

• Monitor air quality – Use sensors to detect sudden odour spikes.

• Treat wastewater properly – sticky water should be managed with digestion or evaporation systems. For plants treating sticky water biologically, bioculture for biological sticky water treatment and high-strength fish processing wastewater accelerates organic load reduction and suppresses odour-producing anaerobic pathways in the ETP.

• Regular maintenance – Keep scrubbers and filters clean and working well.

Why Odour Control Matters?

Odor is not just a problem with smells; it's also a problem for the community and for following the rules. Governments all over the world, such as the CPCB in India, the EPA in the US, and EU regulators, have strict rules about how much smell fish meal plants can make.

Companies that don’t control odour risk:

• Heavy fines or shutdowns

• Complaints from the local community

• Loss of trust and a bad reputation

For fish meal plants already facing CPCB notices or community complaints, a managed odour control service for fish meal and food processing facilities facing CPCB compliance pressure provides a structured, documented response that satisfies both regulators and neighbouring communities.

Good odor control, on the other hand, builds trust, keeps neighbors happy, and shows that a company cares about the environment.

The Future of Odour Control

New ideas are coming up every day to make odour control simpler and greener:

• Biochar and activated charcoal for cheaper filtration

• Smart sensors connected to mobile apps for real-time monitoring

• Eco-friendly chemicals and microbes for safe odour removal

The goal is clear: a fish meal industry that is productive, efficient, and community-friendly. For a broader look at how the broader food processing industry manages odour at industrial scale, covering the full technology toolkit across fish processing, dairy, and food manufacturing, see our dedicated industry guide.

Conclusion

Fish meal is an important product for the food and feed industries around the world, but it has a bad smell that needs to be controlled. Companies can get rid of bad smells by using the right mix of technology (biofilters, scrubbers, and condensers) and good daily habits. For operators in the food and feed supply chain who also manage livestock or poultry facilities, our guide on how similar ammonia and hydrogen sulphide odour challenges are managed in poultry farms covers the biological odour control approach for those adjacent operations.

At Amalgam Biotech, our industrial odour control solutions for fish meal and food processing facilities keep plants safe, productive, and friendly to the community, eliminating TMA, ammonia, and hydrogen sulphide at the source rather than masking them.

To see documented results from industrial facilities that have implemented Amalgam Biotech's odour control solutions, explore our case studies from industrial facilities that have implemented Amalgam Biotech's odour control solutions.

Control Fish Meal Odours with Sustainable Solutions

Strong odours from fish meal processing can affect workplace conditions, nearby communities, and regulatory compliance. Discover how biological odour control solutions can help reduce emissions, improve air quality, and support cleaner operations.

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