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Heterocyclic compounds have been identified as important volatile components of many foods. The odor strength and complexity of these compounds makes them desirable as flavoring ingredients.Heterocyclic compounds are primarily formed through nonenzymatic browning reactions. Recent studies of deep-fat fried food flavors led to the identification of pyrazines, pyridines, thiazole, oxazoles and cyclic polysulfides which had long-chain alkyl substitutions on the heterocyclic ring. The involvement of lipid or lipid decomposition products in the formation of these compounds could account for the long-chain alkyl substitutions.Our knowledge of the chemical composition of food flavors has made considerable progress during the last twenty years. This is mainly due to advances in analytical techniques, such as the coupling of GC with MS and the development of fused-silica capillary columns. Heterocyclic compounds occupy a prominent position among the more than 10,000 compounds occurring in the volatiles of foods. This results from their exceptional sensory properties (1). Heterocyclic compounds contain one or more heteroatoms (0, S and/or N) in rings or fused ring systems.The majority of heterocyclic compounds are formed through thermal interactions of reducing sugars and amino acids, known as the Maillard reaction.Other thermal reactions such as hydrolytic and pyrolytic degradation of food components (e.g. sugars, amino acids, vitamins) and the oxidation of lipids also contribute to the formation of heterocyclic compounds responsible for the complex flavor of many foodstuffs.Heterocyclic compounds may also be formed enzymatically in vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, aspara-1

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