A large number of parallel selective channels (selected ion monitoring) can be used for critical m/z, providing an excellent selectivity. Some examples of carbohydrates and corresponding SIM channels are given in Table 1. Most carbohydrates are detected as their [M + Li]+ adduct but, in some cases, the more intense [M +H2O+ Li]+ adduct can be used without losing specificity. As illustrated on Fig. 1, coeluting compounds (inositol/pinitol, mannitol/trehalose xylose/mannose, . . .) can easily be differentiated by MS detection, which allows the simultaneous analysis of a wide range of carbohydrates, ranging from pentoses and sugar alcohols to di- and trisaccharides.