Abstract: Food is a complex and nutrient-rich system,which will provided an excellent environment for the growth of microorganisms,so it is easy to be infected with microorganisms and lead to spoilage. The use of natural plant extracts for food preservation has become a research hotspot in recent years. As a non-toxic,harmless and purely natural extract,plant essential oil has excellent characteristics of anti-oxidation,anti-bacterial and anti-corrosion,and has a great application prospect in the field of food preservation. However,the application of plant essential oil in food preservation is limited because of its characteristics such as easy volatilization,poor water-solubility and sensitivity to light,heat and temperature. In this paper,four methods to improve the stability of plant essential oils,including microencapsulation,micro-emulsion,nanoemulsion and liposome,and the applications in the preservation of fruits and vegetables,grains and meat were reviewed,which provided references for the further research and application of plant essential oils.