7DTD Food Smell Risk Planner

7 Days to Die v2.5 "Survival Revival" added a hidden smell mechanic — there is no HUD indicator in-game. Food you eat or carry emits a smell radius that lets zombies detect you from further away. Select your items below to calculate your total detection range.

Updated for v2.5 Survival Revival · Outdoor cap: 100 m · Indoor modifier: 20% of outdoor

Select Food You're Eating or Carrying

Corn

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Potato

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Mushroom

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Pumpkin

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Blueberries

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Yucca Fruit

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Corn Meal

Plant-based — zero smell

0 m

Animal Fat

Rendered fat — zero smell

0 m

Packaged Meat Bundle

5× Raw Meat + Paper + Plant Fiber — neutralizes odor

0 m

Eggs (Cooked)

+10 m

Grilled Meat

+15 m

Cooked Meat

+20 m

Canned Chili Dog

Canned goods category

+25 m

Canned Sham

Canned goods category

+25 m

Canned Pork n' Beans

Canned goods category

+25 m

Canned Beef Stew

Canned goods category

+25 m

Canned Goods (other)

Any other canned food item

+25 m

Meat Stew

+50 m

Gumbo Stew

+50 m

Spaghetti

+50 m

Honey Brisket

Highest smell item — hits outdoor cap alone

+100 m

Raw Meat

Activates at 5+ pieces; +2 m per piece

+2 m

Stealth-Safe No food smell — zombies won't track you by scent.

Outdoor Smell Radius

0 m

Indoor Smell Radius

0 m

Walls reduce smell to 20% of outdoor

Pro Tip: Packaged Meat Bundle = 0 m smell

Craft a Packaged Meat Bundle (5× Raw Meat + 1× Paper + 1× Plant Fiber) to carry raw meat with zero smell output. It wraps and neutralizes the odor entirely — perfect for long stealth runs where you need the nutrition without the zombie attention.

How the Smell Mechanic Works (v2.5)

In v2.5 "Survival Revival," food emits a smell radius — the distance at which zombies can detect you by scent alone. There is no HUD indicator; you must track it manually or use this tool.

Smell values stack additively across all food carried or actively eating.
Outdoor smell is capped at 100 m maximum.
Indoors, walls and structures reduce smell to 20% of the outdoor value.
Raw Meat only begins emitting smell at 5 or more pieces carried simultaneously (+2 m per piece).
Zero-smell plant-based foods are your safest option for stealthy gameplay.

Full Food Smell Reference — v2.5

Food Item	Outdoor Smell	Notes
Animal Fat	0 m	Rendered fat — zero smell
Blueberries	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Corn	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Corn Meal	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Mushroom	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Packaged Meat Bundle	0 m	5× Raw Meat + Paper + Plant Fiber — neutralizes odor
Potato	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Pumpkin	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Yucca Fruit	0 m	Plant-based — zero smell
Raw Meat	2 m	Activates at 5+ pieces; +2 m per piece
Eggs (Cooked)	10 m
Grilled Meat	15 m
Cooked Meat	20 m
Canned Beef Stew	25 m	Canned goods category
Canned Chili Dog	25 m	Canned goods category
Canned Goods (other)	25 m	Any other canned food item
Canned Pork n' Beans	25 m	Canned goods category
Canned Sham	25 m	Canned goods category
Gumbo Stew	50 m
Meat Stew	50 m
Spaghetti	50 m
Honey Brisket	100 m	Highest smell item — hits outdoor cap alone

Sorted ascending — zero-smell (safe) foods first. Raw Meat activates at 5+ pieces; smell shown is per piece.

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