The volatiles isolated from the glycine-glyoxal model system were analysed and two compounds derived from formaldehyde (arising from the Strecker degradation of glycine) were identified. The structure of the two compounds, i.e., 2,4,6-trioxaheptane and 2,4,6,8-tetraoxanonane, was confirmed by the analysis of the reference compounds isolated from the commercial formaldehyde solution and analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and1H-NMR spectrometry. The above compounds (the reaction products of formaldehyde oligomers with methanol) are described, for the first time, as minor volatiles in non-enzymatic browning reactions.