The work aims to introduce the research progress on detection and migration of styrene in polystyrene packaging materials. Domestic and overseas literatures related to the detection and migration of styrene in polystyrene were summarized; meanwhile, the newest international detection method and migration researches on styrene were compared with those in China, which showed the shortage and development direction of the researches concerned. In the method of dissolution-precipitation, the styrene could be extracted from polystyrene efficiently, and the recovery of this method was more than 86%. It was not easy for styrene to migrate into distilled water. Only a small amount of styrene could migrate at higher temperature and in a longer period. Various migration ways could affect the migration of styrene greatly, and the fully immersed migration amount was higher than the single-sided migration due to the existence of cuts. Dissolution-precipitation is an effective method to extract styrene. Different food simulants, temperatures, time and migration ways can affect the migration of styrene. The polystyrene should not contact the food at high temperatures and in a longer period; in addition, the polystyrene packaging materials with damaged surface should not be used, so that the harm to human body can be reduced.