The work aims to analyze the application research status and design elements of early warning intelligent packaging to provide theoretical guidance and application basis for the application of intelligent technology in food packaging safety. On the premise of that the concept of early warning intelligent packaging was clarified, the relevant literature of early warning intelligent packaging at home and abroad was sorted and analyzed, and the early warning intelligent packaging was classified for study. According to the technological principle, early warning intelligent packaging was classified into three types:early warning by intelligent material, early warning by information transmission and early warning by structure intelligence. In the design process, attention should be paid to the artistic expression of early warning effect, the mode design of early warning mechanism and the coupling of early warning technology and design. The research on the early warning intelligent packaging enriches the packaging design theory, and the early warning intelligent packaging will become more intelligent, accurate and mature.