Abstract: A high performance liquid chromatography- evaporative light scattering detection( HPLC- ELSD) method had been developed for the determination of erythritol,xylitol,sorbitol and maltitol in chewing gum,biscuits,bread and beverage.The sugar alcohols in foods were separated on amino column by isocratic elution with acetonitrilewater solution( 80∶ 20,V∶ V). The linear range of standard working curve for erythritol,xylitol,sorbitol and maltitol were 140~525 μg / m L,100~500 μg / m L,100~500 μg / m L and 100~500 μg / m L,with linear correlation coefficient( R2)of 0.998,0.999,0.999 and 0.999,respectively.For different kinds of food,the recovery of four kinds of sugar alcohols were in the range of 91.9% ~ 105.2%. The coefficient of variations of intra- laboratory repeatability and inter-laboratory reproducibility were less than 5% and 10%,respectively. This method was simple,easy to grasp and accurate in the determination of sugar alcohols in complex food matrix.