Oxidized flavour developed in whole milk only through the catalytic effect of either Cu or light. The O 2 requirement for the 2 processes differed as did the characteristics of the off-flavours produced. Cu-induced oxidized flavour was described as 'cardboardy' and light-induced oxidized flavour was 'painty'. Light-induced oxidized flavour increased in intensity with O 2 loss, and could be prevented in stored milk by restricting access of O 2 . In UHT milk with a dissolved O 2 content of 66 mg/1, and in the absence of access of further O 2 , light-induced oxidized flavour did not develop; similarly, O 2 uptake of 7 -5 mg/1 in in-bottle sterilized milk exposed to fluorescent light did not result in flavour formation. When light-induced oxidized flavour developed consistently in whole milk none developed in skim-milk, indicating the lipid source of the flavour. In contrast Cu-induced oxidized flavour development was not associated with high O 2 uptake. Although nearly complete deoxygenation of whole pasteurized milk contaminated with Cu prevented the formation of the flavour, moderate deoxygenation resulted in even greater flavour intensity than non-deoxygenation. The 2 oxidized flavours also differed in relation to ascorbic acid (AA) oxidation. Light-induced oxidized flavour developed only after AA oxidation was complete, whereas Cu-induced flavour developed with AA still present. AA oxidation was greatly accelerated through the effects of both Cu and light. In milk free from Cu contamination and protected from light, after AA oxidation (plus SH group oxidation in the case of UHT milk) was complete, no further loss of O 2 occurred, even during prolonged storage at 5 °C, despite the presence of large O 2 concentrations. However, at 20 °C, a small consumption of O 2 was measured, and this was associated with stale flavour.