Abstract: Chlorine dioxide is internationally accepted as a disinfectant and food preservative with high level of performance and safety. The research of chlorine dioxide in the fresh-keeping realm mostly localized at aqueous chlorine dioxide in our country, the study of gaseous chlorine dioxide in the preservation of fruits and vegetables is comparatively scarce. Gaseous chlorine dioxide has more advantages than aqueous chlorine dioxide and possesses a wide application prospects in the aspects of sterilization and preservation of fruits and vegetables. In this paper, performance advantage of gaseous chlorine dioxide as well as its mechanism of sterilization and preservation were introduced. Researches on the application of gaseous chlorine dioxide in the preservation and preservation of fruits and vegetables were summarized, and the application prospect in the food industry was discussed.