A method was established to determine sugars and sugar alcohols in foods by using ion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detector. The samples were separated on a CarboPac PA1 (4mm×250mm) anion exchange column using gradient elution of sodium hydroxide. The relative standard deviation of this method is 2.53%~4.57% and the recovery is in the range of 96%~101%. The method is fit for rapid detection of sugars and sugar alcohols in foods.