Abstract:Food safety has always been concerned by people，and microbial contamination is one of the dominant factors that lead to food spoilage.Antimicrobial peptides （AMPs），widely distributed in nature，are characteristics of broad antimicrobial spectrum and fast speed of action，which can be effective to control the growth of spoilage microorganisms in food. AMPs have high stability against a relatively broad pH range，proteinase digestion and temperature shock，and it can be applied in food systems with complex ingredients.Due to its distinctive antibacterial mechanism，it is hard to induce drug resistance.Some AMPs have a variety of functions such as anti-oxidation and improving immunity，and have the health care function to the human body.These characteristics of AMPs conform to various needs of new antiseptic preservatives，and therefore AMPs are expected to play a vital role in food industry. The present paper briefly introduced the biological function and preservation mechanism of antimicrobial peptides，and reviewed the researches and applications of AMPs in different types of food. Finally，it provided a reflection on the current problems and development direction of antimicrobial peptides in food applications.