The state of the art in aroma analysis is reviewed with emphasis on aroma-r
ecombination studies using synthetic blends of odorants (aroma models) whic
h have been prepared on the basis of analytical data. The model that matche
s the original aroma is the starting material for omission experiments whic
h are performed to establish the odorants that actually contribute to the a
roma. These experiments are discussed in detail for the aromas of two wine
varieties, three olive oils of different provenance, French fries, boiled b
eef and coffee. The results indicate that odorants with higher odour activi
ty values (OAV, the ratio of the concentration to the odour threshold) are
frequently essential for the aroma. However, there are exceptions where odo
rants with high OAVs are suppressed in the aroma and compounds with lower O
AVs are important contributors. These findings are discussed in the light o
f model experiments which have been reported in the literature to obtain an
insight into the perceptual interactions of odorants in mixtures.