This study aimed to explore the stability of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) after microencapsulation and its effect on the preservation of chilled fresh pork for 24 days. The single-factor experiment and the orthogonal experiment were used to study the best experimental conditions (homogenizing time 4 min, stirring rate 900 rpm, Tween 80: core material volume ratio 1:20, and olive oil: AITC volume ratio 25:75). Then, the microencapsulation was prepared using these experimental conditions to study the characterization and stability. The experimental results showed that the stability of the AITC microencapsulation prepared by the complex coacervation method was significantly better than that of the free-state AITC. The AITC microencapsulation was used for in vitro antibacterial experiments and chilled fresh pork preservation experiments. When the concentration of AITC was the same as that of bacteria in the environment, there is significant difference in the total number of colonies of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella treated with free AITC and AITC microencapsulation, but there is no significant difference in the number of Staphylococcus aureus. The results confirmed that AITC microencapsulation produced significant effectively extended the shelf life of chilled fresh pork to 24 days compared with the control. Practical applications The objective of this study was to explore the use of sustained-release AITC microencapsulation as food-borne, natural, and long-acting preservatives to prolong the shelf life of pork tenderloin (M. psoas major). In this study, gelatin and chitosan and AITC were used to form microencapsulation by the complex coacervation method. The EE of AITC microencapsulation was 90.63%, which could effectively control AITC release and reduce irritant odor. The preparation method was simple and fast, and the instrument was not strictly required. In practical application, the microencapsulation prepared by this method was convenient to use and had a good effect. They effectively doubled the shelf life of pork tenderloin (M. psoas major) and did not come in contact with food directly. They also had a higher level of security guarantee,