In order to explore the correlation between flavor compounds and harmful factors, the contents of volatile flavor compounds and harmful factors including acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and trans fatty acids were determined in 16 samples from four kinds of convenience food, namely fried potato chips, fried instant noodles, fried dough twists and salted roast peanuts kernel. 78 volatile flavor compounds were identified by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry through search of the NIST 2015 library and comparison with the documented retention indices, including nitrogen-containing heterocycles, oxygen-containing heterocycles, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, and alkanes, etc. The results showed that trans-fatty acids were not detected in all samples. In fried potato chips and fried instant noodles, acrylamide and seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), i.e. acenaphthene, anthracene, chrysene, fluoranthene, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene were found. In comparison, there were more pyrazines and acrylamide in fried potato chips, more carboxylic acids and PAHs in fried instant noodles, more fatty aldehydes and oxygen-containing heterocycles in fried dough twists and salted roast peanuts kernel. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that the content of acrylamide was positively and significantly (P<0.05) correlated with the volatile flavor compounds of pyrazine, 2-methylpyrazine, etc, which could be generated via the Maillard reaction. The above seven PAHs were significantly(P＜0.05) and positively correlated with aldehydes and acids, that could be formed via lipid degradation during the frying or roasting of the food. The results revealed that it was important to take into account the formation of good flavor and also harmful factors when selecting appropriate food processing technologies.