Food contaminant standards are an important way to control food contamination and ensure food safety. After more than 30 years of development, our food contaminant standards have been continuously improved, which have played an important role in protecting consumer health and promoting fair trade. The article reviews the process and development of the food contaminant standards in China, analyzes the scientificity and changes in its international status, and proposes the future strategies for China's food contaminants standards system, so as to provide a solid foundation for food contaminant standards to reach the height of developed countries and modernization of food safety risk management capabilities.