Objective To investigate the actual production and usage of food contact adhesives in China, review the main safety risks, and provide pertinent suggestions on safety management. Methods The production and usage information of food contact adhesives was investigated by questionnaires through typical enterprises. Relevant standards, regulations and safety management models on adhesives of other countries were collected, and analyzed. Results Materials permitted to use in adhesives couldn't meet the requirement of the industry. High risks of adhesives were occurred from various materials in different adhesives, limited awareness on safety management of some enterprises, and the absence of relevant risk management measures. Conclusion The safety standard of adhesives should be established quickly. An adhesive monomer list, limiting indexes of different adhesives, and safety control measures such as information transfer mechanism and functional barrier were recommended for the standard.