Lightly salted lumpfish roe (3.5–4.8% fw/w] salt in the water-phase, pH 5.4, vacuum-packed) was stored at 5°C. After 2 1/2 or 3 months of storage, different degrees of spoilage, caused by bacterial activity, occurred in eleven roe batches. Off-odors ranged from no or very weak odors to strong sulphury, sour odors. The microflora consisted of lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio spp. Concentration of lactic acid, acetic acid, trimethylamine and total volatile bases were unrelated to spoilage odors. Volatile sulfur compounds (H2S, probably CS2, CH3SH and CH3CH2SH or CH3SCH3), produced during storage, appeared to be contributors to spoilage odors.