With their unique physical and chemical properties,nanometer materials play a more and more important role in many fields of science，more attentions were paid for harmful pollutants in food,such as heavy metal,pesticide residue and veterinary drug residue,and harmful substances in packaging material，but the current method for determination of these harmful pollutants in food lacks of rapidness,sensitivity and economy.The applications of nanometer materials in analysis of these harmful pollutants in food have solved the problem and become the research focus of analytical chemistry.In this article,the basic characteristics of nanometer materials were described,and the category,source and harmfulness of the harmful pollutants in food were analyzed.Furthermore,the recent progress on the application of the nanometer materials in detection of these harmful pollutants in food was also summarized.