The in¯uence of oil and food components in real food products on the absorption of four ¯avour compounds (limonene, decanal, linalool and ethyl 2-methyl butyrate) into linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) was studied using a large volume injection GC `in vial' extraction method. Model food systems and real food products investigated included oil/water emulsions, oil/casein models, oil/pectin models, skim milk and whole milk. A small amount of oil (50 g l À1 ) had a major in¯uence on the amount of ¯avour absorption. Because of solubilization of the more apolar ¯avour compounds limonene, decanal and linalool into the oily phase, only the remaining ¯avour compounds in the aqueous phase were available for absorption by LLDPE. After 14 days of exposure, absorption of limonene and decanal decreased by 97%, and that of linalool by 86%. Due to a salting out effect, absorption of the less apolar ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (E2MB) ®rst increased with increasing oil concentration, but decreased at higher oil concentrations (b2.5 g l À1 ). Oil/casein and oil/pectin models showed that the more apolar ¯avour compounds were mainly dissolved in the oily phase and that the compounds present in the aqueous phase could interact with casein or pectin. Oil in¯uenced the level of ¯avour absorption by LLDPE to a much greater extent than pectin or casein. However, the low amount of fat (1.11 g l À1 ) in skim milk had no in¯uence on the absorption of ¯avour compounds. Only the proteins in skim milk (especially casein) decreased the absorption of limonene and decanal, because the fat was probably entrapped. Whole milk, which contained a higher concentration of (free) fat, suppressed the absorption of all ¯avour compounds by LLDPE to the same extent as was found for the oil model solutions. In general, absorption results from skim milk and whole milk were in good agreement with the results of the investigated model solutions containing individual food components.