Food starters can affect the sensory properties， nutritional value， and healthy beneficial functions of fermented foods through a variety of metabolic pathways. They are the core of fermented food production and manufacturing. The excavation and manufacturing of food starters with excellent performance are important to the high-quality development of the fermented food industry. The status of the food starter research and industry is systematically reviewed through comprehensive literature research and data visualization analysis. This study summarized and looked forward to the challenges faced by the food starter industry and future development trends， aiming to provide ideas and references for the research and development and industrial development of high-performance food starters in China.