Abstract: As a persistent organic pollutant, pentachlorophenol has been used as an insecticide, fungicide, and preservative, etc. It is stable and not easily degraded. The residues of pentachlorophenol and its sodium salt (PCPs) remaining in the environment can enter the food chain through bioconcentration and then remain in animal foods. In this article, the relevant standards and legal regulations of PCPs in China and other countries were reviewed, and the different standards of PCPs in China were compared. The sample preparation methods and common analysis and detection technology of PCPs in different matrices were compared and analyzed. The research and application prospects of the residue determination technology of PCPs in foods were prospected.