Objective To develop an analytical method for the determination of xylo-oligosaccharides in health foods by high performance liquid chromatography with differential refractive index detector.Methods The samples were extracted and then hydrolyzed(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) with sulfuric acid solution in boiling water bath;neutralized with sodium hydroxide solution;separated on a NH2 column with a mixture of acetonitrile-water(70+30,V/V) as mobile phase;detected by refractive index detector at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min.Results There was a good linearity of the calibration curve between the peak area and the mass concentration of xylose in the range of 0.30-4.50 mg/ml(r=0.999 9);The relative standard deviations were 1.86%-3.80%(n=6);the recoveries were 90.3%-98.3 % in solid health foods and 89.0%-97.0% in liquid foods.Conclusion This method is found to be simple,rapid,precise and accurate.Therefore,the method can be successfully used for the determination of xylo-oligosaccharides in health foods.