Vanillin is a flavor widely used in the food industry. This paper discusses the application of vanillin in the food industry, worldwide limits for the use of vanillin, the characteristics of the production technology and the possible risks brought by vanillin for foods, and it also summarizes the methods for vanillin detection in dairy products, infant formulas and formulas for special medical purposes intended for infants including gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and spectroscopy with special attention to their advantages and limitations. This review is expected to provide a basis for the detection and further research of vanillin in infant formulas for special medical purpose.

Hydrolyzed protein formula not only solves the problem of allergy or intolerance to cow’s milk proteins in infants and young children, but also meets the nutritional needs. Degree of hydrolysis is an important parameter to evaluate hydrolyzed protein formula. However, there are currently no methods available to determine the degree of hydrolysis of hydrolyzed protein formula. This article presents a brief introduction to the basic concepts of hydrolyzed protein formula and its degree of hydrolysis, and summarizes the existing methods for detecting the degree of hydrolysis of proteins. We expect this review to provide a reference for the establishment of detection methods for the degree of proteolysis of hydrolyzed protein formula.