The work aims to summarize the research and progress of anthocyanins in food quality indication at home and abroad in recent years. Domestic and foreign reports were summarized, relevant literature and experimental results in recent years were reviewed, response mechanism of anthocyanins to pH and possible interaction between anthocyanins and biological macromolecules were explored, and application progress of anthocyanins in food quality indication was presented. Anthocyanins, as water-soluble natural pigments widely found in plants, had high sensitivity and response to pH, which could be combined with biological macromolecules and effectively loaded in macromolecules, so as to compound into safe, degradable and smart materials with pH indication function and to reveal the process of food spoilage. Anthocyanins can composite with polysaccharide and protein by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, van der Waals force, etc. The formed intelligent material with anthocyanins can be applied to indicate the freshness of common food (pork, fish, shrimp, milk, etc.). This work can provide some reference for the further research and application of anthocyanins in food quality indication.