Objective To analyze the financial performance of Chinese listed companies in food industry more systematically and comprehensively.Method 12 financial indicators that reflect the financial performance of enterprises are select； first， their dimensions are reduced to 4 factors through factor analysis method； then， according to these 4 factors， the samples are classified through k-means clustering method.Result （1）The financial performances of listed food companies are varied， and the industry development is unbalanced. （2）The four factors have different degrees of influence on the financial performance of food listed companies. The profitability factor has the greatest impact on financial performance， followed by the solvency factor and the operating ability factor， and the development ability factor has the least impact. （3）In cluster analysis， the sample companies are divided into three categories， namely， high-growth efficient companies with strong operation and development ability but weak profitability， low-efficiency companies with strong debt paying ability but weak other abilities， and high-profit companies with strong profitability but weak other abilities.Conclusion Different development proposals are made for different types of companies.