As the elderly population is growing at a fast pace， China has become the top one with the world's largest population of elderly people. Aging is often accompanied by deterioration of the oral physiology and eating capabilities， resulting in loss of appetite and decrease of food intake. As a result， the nutritional， physical and mental health status of these older adults is at stake. Therefore， how to design more age-friendly food products with textural and nutritional improved properties is the key challenge in food industry. However， in China， the food industry focusing on age-friendly food is still in a very early stage and the supply of special food is far from meeting the need of elderly people. The aim of this review was expected to discuss the current research progress of special foods for the elderly and the dietary needs of the elderly， and to propose food design strategies of special foods for the elderly in terms of nutrition， texture， packaging， and labeling. Moreover， this review was focused on the research area of food oral processing and the application of modern new food processing technology to provide potential approaches for better designing special foods for the elderly in China.