Investigations were conducted on the volatile compounds responsible for the undesirable odor characteristic of cooked sardine (Sardinops melanosticta) meat. These odors form when the meat is subjected to heat processing. Olfactory analysis confirmed that the bulk of the undesirable odor developed from the lipid fraction of the meat; the development of odor was inhibited by adding potassium bromate and BHA to the meat before cooking, but enhanced by ascorbic acid and isoascorbic acid. A slight decrease in the content of polyunsaturated fatty acid of lipids due to thermal degradation was also confirrned from the comparison of fatty acid compositions of lipids in the meat before and after cooking. The volatile compounds isolated from cooked sardine meat were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Forty compounds, including esters, aldehydes, ketone, alcohols, hydrocarbons, amines, and cyclic compounds, were identified. These aldehydes, alcohols, and hydrocarbons were considered to be derived from thermal oxidation of lipids and to be important contributors to the undesirable odor associated with cooked sardine meat.