The work aims to learn the properties and characteristics of thermochromic materials, so as to provide reference for the development of thermochromic food packaging, and promote the application of thermochromic materials in non-destructive monitoring of food. Thermochromic materials were classified according to their reversibility and mechanism of discoloration. The current application status of thermochromic materials in intelligent food packaging was summarized, and the future development trend and the research direction of thermochromic materials were proposed. The research and application of thermochromic materials in the field of food intelligent packaging still has large space for development. In the future, the needs of practical applications can be met by strengthening theoretical research or developing new thermochromic materials with better performance.