Abstract: Fermented sausage is popular with consumers because of its unique flavor, rich nutrition and long shelf life. In recent years, It has become a hot topic to endow the fermented sausage with functional characteristics under the premise of ensuring safety. The application of functional starter culture in fermented sausages can effectively inhibit the reproduction of harmful microorganisms, reduce the generation of biological amines and N-nitrosamines, promote the formation of good flavor, inhibit excessive oxidation, reduce blood pressure, and reduce cholesterol content. This paper reviews the research progress of functional starter cultureand functional characteristics of functional starter culture in fermented sausages, and looks forward to its future research trend.