For several years I had a severe undiagnosed hiatal hernia. There was a large "pocket" above my diaphragm in which food collected and basically rotted causing a very putrid smell of rotting food that nothing could cure until my condition was diagnosed at Mayo, Rochester and surgically corrected with a nissen fundoplication. After the surgery I never had this rotting food smell that others noticed nor did I experience any of the prior GI issues caused by this condition. I am 6 years post surgery and have no GERD nor GI issues. Good luck with determining the causes of your issues