AbstractRecent literature on the composition of milk lipids is reviewed and discussed. Many additional exotic fatty acids, mainly branched chain, keto, hydroxy and isomers containing double bonds, have been identified, often with the aid of mass spectrometry. It is estimated that ca. 500 fatty acids have been found in milk lipids. Components of lipid classes have been isolated and their structure determined, e.g., glucosyl and lactosyl ceramide, sphingomyelin, ether lipids, etc. The fatty acid composition of “protected” milk is discussed. This milk, obtained from cows fed polyunsaturated oils encapsulated with formaldehyde‐treated casein, contains about five times more linoleic acid than regular milk. The future of research on milk lipids is promising, as there are still many intriguing problems of separation and identification.