Objective Based on literature data mining, this study analyzes the exposure risk of chlorate in infant formula for the infant population in China, providing a scientific basis for the risk management of chlorate in infant formula. Methods Based on chlorate levels in infant formula reported in publicly available literature from 2019 to 2024, combined with consumption patterns of infant formula in China , a simple distribution assessment method was used to evaluate chronic exposure risk in infants aged 0-36 months. Results Literature data indicate that chlorate concentrations in infant formula sampled from distribution channels in China ranged from non-detectable to 3250.00 μg/kg, with a mean concentration of 99.14 μg/kg. The chronic exposure assessment indicated that both the mean exposure level (0.73 μg/kg BW) and the P95 exposure level (5.62 μg/kg BW) among infant formula consumers were below the Provisional Maximum Tolerable Daily Intake (PMTDI) of 10?μg/kg?BW for chlorate established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Conclusion Based on data mining and analysis of literature published in the past six years, the overall risk of chlorate exposure among consumers of infant formula in China is relatively low.