Lycopene has strong antioxidant activity and excellent biological function. Compared with all trans lycopene, cis isomer is not easy to crystallize and has low melting point. It is easier to be absorbed by human body and has stronger physiological activity. However, due to the fat soluble structure of lycopene, the utilization of lycopene is limited. Certain processing methods need to be adopted to improve the proportion of cis isomers and bioavailability of lycopene, accelerate the exudation of lycopene from raw materials and promote the absorption and utilization of lycopene by the body. Heat, light, high pressure, acid and other treatment methods were used to reduce the activation energy required in the isomerization process and promote the transformation of all trans lycopene to cis isomer under the action of catalyst. The bioavailability of lycopene was improved by studying the effect of processing methods on lycopene in food raw materials and the synergistic isomerization method of lycopene in the processing process. Lycopene obtained a large amount of activation energy after heat, light, high pressure and acid treatment. It was in an unstable state and easy to transform to cis isomers to form single or multiple cis isomers. During food processing, the destruction of cell wall and chloroplast promoted the release of lycopene in cells, accompanied by a certain degree of isomerization. This work reviews the effects of processing on lycopene isomerization and bioavailability, in order to improve the biological activity, promote the function of lycopene and provide theoretical support.