Mineral contents of selected pre-prepared food sampled in a hospital food service line.

Twenty-four pre-prepared foods sampled as served at the VA hospital in Tacoma, Washington, were analyzed for contents of nine minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and phosphorus). Samples were taken at three different times during the menu cycle. There were significant differences among the three monthly sampling times for nearly all minerals. Variation by month was partly attributed to varying proportions of food components in mixed food samples received in the food service line and to different manufacturers, food lots, and sources of raw materials. Two prepared foods labeled "low-sodium" contained 36 to 43 percent as much sodium as the comparable "regular" foods.