People in Berlin have complained about a stench that was coming from a food recycling facility, but after some changes, the odor has mostly cleared.
Neighbors described the smell as pungent and like rancid meat in 2024, two years after Bright Feeds began operations.
The air seems to be clear thanks to an industrial air pollution control device called a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO). Bright Feeds finished installing it in April 2025.
An RTO is an air destruction device that destroys volatile pollutants and odors via heat, before exhausting them through the stack. It also removes emissions-related odors, similar to a catalytic converter.
“When we had the smell, it was terrible. It was nauseating at times,” Shawn McLaughlin, the commercial truck manager at Tasca Ford around the corner, said. “But that was over a year ago, I think. And it’s very good now. We don’t notice it maybe, maybe once or twice since then.”
There were also concerns about health risks. The state Department of Public Health evaluated health risks from exposure to contaminants emitted by the facility into the air.
DPH’s final report found that “breathing contaminants at the ambient air concentrations modeled by DEEP is not expected to harm the health of community members.”
At a town council meeting Tuesday night, Cheryl Fields, a toxicologist with DPH, said chemicals released during food processing can cause headaches or nausea, but her analysis found the odor doesn’t pose any long-term risk.
“Smelling something doesn’t always mean it’s dangerous,” Fields said. “Oftentimes odors can be noticeable at concentrations that are far below the levels that harm your health.”
Laxmi Stebbins Wordham, the chief growth officer at Bright Feeds, issued a statement:
“Bright Feeds welcomes the findings of the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s report that confirms the operation of our facility does not pose any adverse health impacts to the surrounding community. We remain committed to the continued operation of our facility that protects the well-being of our workers and the surrounding community.”
The noise remains a problem for some. One neighbor says it’s disrupting his quality of life. He played a recording of what he heard outside his window.
“It’s like a fan, very low-pitched sound,” he said. “Low frequency that’s like penetrating walls, and it’s really throbbing in your head.”
The town passed a noise ordinance last June, lowering the decibel levels emitted at certain times and places in town. The mayor said Bright Feeds has been compliant.
