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Why does fish smell when it goes off?

fish-cooking.jpgQuestion

Why does fish smell when it goes off? Is it the same reason as when it is cooked?
Adam, Watford

Answer

Name: Ian, Edgware
Qualification: I'm a chef and my wife is a health inspector!
Answer: When food rots, the smell is given off by the bacteria eating away at the flesh. When you cook it, you break down the food and destroy the bacteria, so it doesn't smell the same. But breaking down the food changes the smell of the food.