Abstract: During long-term storage of nutrition formulas, a series of chemical reactions and physical changes may be triggered by internal or external environmental factors (temperature, light and oxygen), reducing the nutritional value and affecting the physicochemical properties and sensory attributes of the products. Therefore, monitoring these changes and analyzing the factors that cause them are of great significance to shelf-life determination of the products. In this review, the kinds and characteristics of infant formula and food for special medical purposes, the major types of nutrition formulas marketed in China are outlined, and the current understanding of the stability of nutrition formulas is reviewed. Meanwhile, the influence of various factors including different packaging materials on the stability of nutrition formulas is discussed. The applicability of different shelf-life prediction models to nutrition formula is analyzed. It is expected that this review will provide valuable information for further studies of the stability of nutrition formula and the development of guidelines for stability evaluation in China.

Key words: nutrition formula, stability, packaging materials, shelf-life