The natural antibacterial and antioxidant activity of plant essential oil make it have a wide application prospect in the field of fruit and vegetable preservation. However, plant essential oil has some disadvantages such as strong odor and volatility, and the application effect is not good. Microcapsule technology can cover the strong smell of essential oils, maintain the chemical stability, and have a slow-release effect, which can better play the excellent role of plant essential oils in the preservation and packaging of fruits and vegetables. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of plant essential oils were introduced, as well as the core materials, wall materials and common preparation methods of plant essential oil microcapsules. The research status of plant essential oil microcapsule fresh-keeping agent controlled-release packaging, composite fresh-keeping film packaging and edible film packaging in fruit and vegetable preservation packaging was reviewed and analyzed, in order to provide reference for further research and application of microencapsulated plant essential oil in fruit and vegetable preservation packaging.