Abstract: Essential oils are secondary metabolites of plant origin and aromatic substances with volatile oily liquid extracted from different tissue parts such as leaves,flowers,roots,stems or fruits of plants. They were widely used in the storage and preservation of fruits and vegetables due to their broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. In this paper,the bacteriostatic effect and mechanism of plant essential oil on mold in fruits and vegetables were summarized,and a variety of treatment methods and effects for preservation of fruits and vegetables,such as essential oil spraying method,essential oil dipping method,essential oil fumigation treatment,essential oil microcapsule embedding method,essential oil composite coating film and essential oil preservation paper were briefly analyzed. Finally,the development prospect of plant essential oil was prospected. It would provide a theoretical basis for the research and application of plant essential oil in the preservation of fruits and vegetables.