Dextran is a kind of microbial polysaccharide consisting of a glucose chain linked by α-1,6-glucoside bond.Its application research has been carried out in many food fields.In this review,the structure and function analysis of new sources of dextran and the research trend of producing bacteria in recent years were summarized,and the research status of innovative applications of dextran in the field of protein deep processing,bread baking,prebiotics,etc.,were described.The existing problems in current research and policy and future research directions were also discussed.