Abstract:
UHT processing, leads to the formation of “cooked” and “flat” flavours in milk. These
undesirable notes occur due to the volatile formation of a variety of sulphur containing
compounds, methyl ketones and aliphatic aldehydes derived from the constituents of the milks
matrix during thermal processing and storage. The “cooked” flavour of UHT milk is associated
with the presence of a variety of sulphur containing compounds while the “stale” flavour is
characterised by the dissipation of these sulphur volatiles and an increase of the formation and
presence of both methyl ketones and aliphatic aldehydes over time. The extent that the
individual volatiles contribute to the overall flavour of UHT milk is not clear. The proposed
formation of these volatiles; methods to control the intensity of “cooked” and “stale” flavours
associated with UHT milk and extraction techniques for the isolation of these volatiles from milk
have been reviewed.
