As a common plant that is widely used for both medicinal and culinary purposes, ginger is rich in polysaccharides, terpenes, phenols and other active substances, imparting it with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, neuroprotective and antidiabetic properties. In this paper, we review the current understanding on the composition and biological activities of ginger extract, discusses the application of ginger in food packaging, and propose future directions for ginger extract research, hoping to arouse people’s attention on ginger and its further application so as to promote the comprehensive utilization of ginger resources.