because of the negative perception from consumers about the use of synthetic additives in foods before constants risks of foodborne diseases, as in the development of acute disorders and chronical diseases, and the environmental risks associated, the use of essential oils is presented as alternative for natural preservatives development. The objective of this work was to review the most important aspects for the development of preservatives based on encapsulated lemongrass essential oil. Particularly, this oil has showed antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. However, essential oils can't be incorporated into foods directly, because of these are water insoluble, volatile, and sensitive to oxygen, temperature and light. An option to avoid mentioned troubles is the encapsulation technology, that consists in confining an active compound into an encapsulant material, generating particles of micro and nanometric sizes, which allows a controlled release of the compound in a specific site. Thus, is possible developing a preservative ingredient, based on encapsulated lemongrass essential oil, to extend the shelf life of foods.