Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) have complex structures and selectively stimulate the growth of probiotic bifidobacteria in the intestine of breast-fed infants. Infant gut-associated bifidobacteria provide molecular tools to metabolize HMO with strain specificity, such as glycosyl hydrolases. This review summarizes the structure of HMO and the mechanism underlying HMO metabolism by infant gut-associated bifidobacteria. The focus of this review is on the current advances in the intraspecific differences in bifidobacterial HMO metabolism and the tools involved in the metabolic process.

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with a variety of physiological functions, play a significant role in the improvement of physical properties of fermented dairy products. The structures and functions of EPS synthesized by different LAB strains are highly diverse. Therefore, this review summarizes the progress that has been made in recent years in studying the structure of EPS from LAB and its effect on physical properties and health-beneficial functions of fermented dairy products, in order to lay a theoretical foundation for developing new fermented dairy products with stable quality and desired health-beneficial functions.

This paper is intended to provide reference materials for technological innovation in the production of infant formula so as to find a breakthrough point for the development of China’s infant formula industry. In this paper, we review the course of domestic and international development of infant formula production technologies and focuse on introducing the current status of research on fortificating polyunsaturated fatty acids, modifying milk-derived proteins, stabilizing vitamins and adding oligosaccharides. This review concludes that in the futher development of infant formula, efforts should be focused on breast milk nutrition facts, infant formula classification by physiological purpose, development of ready-tofeed infant milk, fortification with immunoreactive substances, quality control of raw milk, and production management.