Food preservatives are a class of substances added to extend the shelf life of food and prevent food from spoiling.They can inhibit or kill microorganisms in food,thereby slowing down the process of food spoilage,and are also indispensable additives in the modern industrial food production process.This paper summarizes and analyzes the types,mechanisms of action and application status of food preservatives,and puts forward their future development trends,in order to provide reference for the development of modern food industry.