Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) activity of NiMo catalysts have been evaluated in the presence of catalyst poisons in bio-based feedstocks. An in-house synthesized NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst was placed in a refinery unit for biofuel production. Iron (Fe), phosphorus (P) and metals were identified as major contaminants. Calcination treatment was explored to recover the activity of spent catalysts. The effect of Fe, K and phospholipid containing P and Na on catalyst deactivation during hydrodeoxygenation of stearic acid was simulated at lab-scale. Fe caused the most deactivation where the highest feed concentration of the Fe compound resulted in 1480 ppm Fe deposited on the catalyst. Elemental distribution along the radial axis of spent catalysts indicated: Fe deposited only to a depth of 100 ?m irrespective of concentration while P and Na from phospholipid and K penetrated deeper in catalyst particles with a distribution profile that was found to be concentration dependent.