•GC–IMS applied to food flavor analysis has rapidly developed in the past few years.•It is used for classification, adulteration studies, spoilage, off-flavor detection, etc.•GC–IMS is fast, convenient and precise with great future potential. Rapid, nondestructive, high-throughput testing and screening of volatile ingredients plays an important role in food flavor analysis. Gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC–IMS) is a powerful technique for the separation and sensitive detection of volatile organic compounds. It has a fast response, high sensitivity, easy operation, and low cost. In this article, a brief introduction to the working principle of GC–IMS is presented. A summary of recent studies of different food flavor analysis applications is also provided, including food classification and adulteration, the evaluation of food freshness and spoilage, off-flavor detection, monitoring the processing of food products, and evaluation of aroma changes during food storage. Finally, future directions of GC–IMS are proposed.