This review describes recent progress in the development of sample pretreatment methods and instrumental detection systems for the determination of melamine in dairy products. Currently there are three popular methods used to extract and purify melamine from sample matrices, solid phase extraction (SPE), dispersed solid phase extraction (DSPE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Data from various studies indicate that DSPE and LLE are easier and faster to use with recoveries above 90% than SPE. Several popular techniques are currently used to determine melamine, including HPLC, LC–MS, GC–MS and ELISA. Among them, HPLC is easier to use, more sensitive and time saving, while LC–MS is more effective for qualitative analysis and has lower detection limit and GC–MS is highly uncertain under varying conditions despite higher sensitivity. Moreover, ELISA is generally used for large-scale determination and primary screening of melamine in milk and dairy products.