Taste recognition threshold concentrations (TRTC) of styrene were determined in samples of oil‐in‐water emulsions (30–300 g kg⁻¹ oil) and yoghurts (1–30 g kg⁻¹ fat), spiked with styrene. The observed TRTC increased linearly with increasing fat content and ranged from 0–3 to 2–1 mg kg⁻¹ for the emulsions and from 36 to 171 g kg⁻¹ for the yoghurts. Styrene equilibrium partition coefficients between emulsions and their respective vapour phases were determined. The concentrations of styrene in the continuous aqueous phase of the emulsions and yoghurts were calculated at the TRTC. The styrene concentrations in the continuous phase had constant values of about 15 g kg⁻1 indicating that perception of styrene for oil‐in–water emulsions is determined by the aqueous phase of the emulsion. The concentrations of styrene in the vapor phases above the emulsions and yoghurts were also calculated and were found to be constant at the TRTC. This relationship probably resulted from the equilibrium of distribution of styrene between the respective phases. Commercial yoghurt packed in polystyrene beakers contained styrene levels in the range 2–11 g kg⁻¹, much lower then the TRTC reported.