Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important organisms in the food industry. The study of microevolution of LAB is helpful in understanding of the biological function and mechanism of these microbes. With the development of molecular biology, a large number of technical means have emerged, such as multilocus sequence typing ( MLST) and whole-genome re-sequencing, which enable the study of the phylogenetic and population evolution of LAB at genetic level. MLST has already been widely used on microevolution research of LAB to analyze the genetic diversity and population structure. Moreover, recently, as a result of the declining in sequencing cost, the advantage of whole genome sequencing technology is increasingly highlighted. This article elucidates the principle, methods and scientific significance of researching LAB microevolution, as well as introduces the application of whole genome sequencing in these aspects to provide new insights into further research.