With the development of China, children’s cheese has garnered increasing attention in the dairy industry, which has become a new growth point of China’s dairy industry. However, children’s cheeses currently available on the market are uneven, which cannot be fortified completely according to children’s nutritional needs. Their tastes are similar and their selling points are the same, which causes the public’s sensory fatigue and also go against consumers’ pursuit of clean label. Thus, the development of the children’s cheese industry is facing new challenges. In this paper, from the perspectives of children’s health and cheese nutrition, we link the needs of children of different ages for nutrition, flavor and texture with the nutrition, flavor and texture of cheese. The present situation, challenges and possible development directions of children’s cheese food in China are summarized.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are important components in human milk. Understanding the differences between non-HMOs and HMOs is fundamental to develop infant formula with improved nutritional functions making it more similar to human milk to satisfy the nutritional health of infants. This paper reviews the types and structural characteristics of HMOs and their roles in regulating the intestinal microflora, improving intestinal health and promoting immune system development. Meanwhile, the differences between the composition of oligosaccharides in mammalian milk and HMOs composition are described, as well as the characteristics and functions of oligosaccharides commonly used in infant formula. The problems associated with the application of oligosaccharides in infant formula are proposed and future prospects are discussed. We expect that this review will provide a theoretical guidance for the development of new infant formulas.