Abstract: Electron spin resonance (ESR) technology is a spectroscopic analysis technology for the detection of objects containing an unpaired electron, such as free radicals, transition metal ions, triplet molecules, et al. ESR is widely used in physics, chemical, medicine, biology and other research fields because of its ability to analyze organic conductors, metal compounds and photosynthesis of chemical substances by detecting unpaired electrons. ESR is also widely used in the field of food detection because it can be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of free radicals produced by physical and chemical changes in food components. In this paper, the principle of food lipid oxidation, spin trapping and the selection basis of trapping agent were introduced. The relationship between free radicals could be produced in the early stage of lipid oxidation and the qualitative and quantitative free radicals could be determined by ESR technology based on spin trapping was clarified. On this basis, whether or not the lipid oxidation reaction take place and the degree of oxidation reaction of lipids in livestock and poultry meat products, aquatic products, vegetable oils and other fat-rich foods during processing and storage were reviewed. This paper provided a theoretical basis for the wide application of ESR in the determination of food lipid oxidation.