The 2012 International Breath Analysis meeting was held in Sonoma, CA (USA) from 28 October-01 November 2012. The focus of the meeting covered several important topics within the research area, including both engineering and the biomedical sciences. As human breath analysis further develops as a multi-disciplinary field, it is clear that sensor development, instrumentation systems and algorithms play critical roles. Although much emphasis in the last decade has focused on breath biomarker compound identification and physiological relevance, we increasingly turn our attention toward portable, fieldable sensor platforms for non-invasive breath monitoring. The mission of this workshop was to assemble a group of leading experts to discuss their own research, debate trends and future directions of the field, and contemplate areas of research that deserve special attention moving forward.