Analytical Methods for the Characterisation of Aroma Compounds in Milk

Milk is a globally important food valued for its nutritional content and accessibility, with extended-shelf-life products such as ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk increasing market reach but often altering flavour and impacting consumer acceptance. Despite the central role of aroma in determining flavour, analytical approaches in dairy research are frequently applied in isolation, limiting mechanistic insight into how processing-driven changes in volatile compounds influence sensory perception. This review critically examines analytical strategies for characterising aroma in bovine drinking milk, with emphasis on sample preparation, volatile extraction, chromatographic profiling, and sensory methodologies. Across the literature, inconsistent experimental design, limited consideration of aroma-active compounds, and the separation of chemical and sensory analyses emerge as key constraints. Evidence indicates that no single analytical approach is universally optimal, with method performance dependent on matrix composition and analytical objectives; however, multidimensional chromatography and integrated sensory–instrumental approaches provide clear advantages for resolving complex flavour systems. This review highlights the need for standardised, matrix-appropriate methodologies and demonstrates that improved integration of chemical and sensory data is essential for advancing mechanistic, consumer-relevant flavour characterisation in milk.