Abstract: Ionic liquid is a kind of materials composed of cation and anion.As the result of its lower melting point,it is usually present as liquid form at room temperature. And it has many excellent characteristics. Ionic liquids can be used as solvents,sensitizer in spectrophotometry,chromogenic reagents in colorimetric method,or catalyzer in the industrial synthesis of esters,etc.In this article,the application of ionic liquids in separation and purification of food ingredients,industrial synthesis of food raw materials and biological technology are discussed. In addition,the application of ionic liquids in food science and the existing problems are also presented. This review can be beneficial to promote further research on the industrial applications and industrializations of ionic liquids in food industry.