Mitigation of olfactory impact in a restaurant chain in Rome

A well-known restaurant chain, a leader in grilled and fried meat cooking, contacted us about a problem of nuisance odor emissions.

The restaurant business, located in the built-up area of Rome, was generating a significant odorous impact - resulting from the grilling and frying phases - such that it was perceived as an olfactory nuisance by the population living in the neighboring area.

We intervened with our new plant design service by analyzing the case and implementing a plant for the distribution of deodorizing products capable of neutralizing the odor coming from the cooking of food before its emission into the atmosphere.

The phases of our intervention were as follows:

• on-site verification and study of the problem;
• olfactometric analysis;
• design and implementation of the odor abatement plant;
• installation of the system and verification of efficiency.

With our Zephiro UTS technology, we achieved more than 80% abatement efficiency. Let's see in detail how. 

Our technicians performed a technical inspection, evaluating the structure and the kitchen odor filtration equipment to understand the causes of the odor emission.

They then performed olfactometric analysis to understand the characteristics of the emissions.

In this case, the factors that influenced odor control were:

• the type of food and the type of cooking;
• the characteristics of the fume hood;
• the spatial context.

The critical issues found in the present abatement systems were mainly related to the type of oil filters and the requirements of the fume hood. Once the technologies were analyzed and sized in relation to the fluid dynamic aspect, we evaluated the most effective abatement environmental equipment, among our osmogenic spray-barrier and filtration systems.

Osmogenic barrier technology, in this case, was the optimal solution because it was a conveyed emission and, given our many previous experiences, we were certain of the results that could be achieved.

The inspection revealed some critical odor issues: the most critical aspects were related to emissions from meat grilling and frying. These two activities were the main cause of the perceived odor nuisance in the vicinity of the restaurant.

These kinds of odor emissions do not pose toxicological risks, but they are hardly accepted by the neighborhood, becoming, as in this case, the cause of disputes and complaints. 

The preliminary problem analysis phase allowed presenting the client the most suitable proposal that could meet expectations and requirements.

After a careful review of the available space and technical feasibility, the Zephiro UTS system was proposed to be placed inside the kitchen with a connection on the chimney upstream of the extractor. This solution is able to ensure the right contact time between the odor source molecules and our neutralizing solution.

In fact, Zephiro UTS is an ultrasonic misting system that, together with the neutralizing product, achieves odor control and odor abatement and is used particularly in the restaurant industry and professional kitchens.

The system was set up in the kitchen with a junction onto the chimney upstream of the extractor, as planned in the design phase, and started up directly by our technicians.

In the testing phase, olfactometric analyses were conducted that demonstrated abatement efficiencies exceeding 80%. In addition, the odor concentration values measured upstream of the abatement facility were in line with those measured at similar activities.

The plant met the efficiency requirements of the relevant regulations for the food service industry. Our Zephiro UTS plant achieved odor abatement efficiencies in excess of 80%.

People living in that area of Rome no longer experience odor harassment from our customer's food cooking.

A relationship can be seen between the reduction in odor concentration and the increase in the amount of product used in spraying.

Following the implementation of this plant, we activated a full service maintenance contract with the customer for three years.

Basically, four times a year we ensure:

• plant monitoring;
• replacement of worn out parts;
• supply of odor neutralization products.

This is a full service that allows the food service chain not to worry any more about the maintenance of the odor abatement plant.