Abstract: The imidazoquinoline type (IQ-type) is recognized as the most mutagenic activity in heterocyclic amines currently, and closely associated with a variety of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases of human. The precursors of IQ-type HAs are free amino acids, reducing sugars, and creatine/creatinine, and these precursors can undergo a series of chemical reactions at high temperatures, and intermediate products such as free radicals and reactive carbonyl compounds are formed, which are the basis for the formation of IQ-type HAs. The exogenous substances added to the meat products during the thermal processing affected the IQ-type HAs formation to varying degrees. There are three main action mechanisms of the exogenous substances inhibiting IQ-type HAs, including competitive inhibition mechanism of precursors, free radical scavenging mechanisms, and active carbonyl compounds capturing mechanism. This article focuses on the formation process of IQ-type HAs and the inhibitory mechanism of exogenous substances, and clarified the reaction pathway of IQ-type HAs generation, and elaborated the action mechanism of exogenous substances inhibiting the formation of IQ-type HAs in detail. This paper provides theoretical guidance for effectively controlling the IQ-type HAs formation during the thermal processing of meat products.