X-ray flourescence (XRF) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) measurements for manganese, iron, copper, and zinc were compared for 96 samples of 21 foods from different sources. Correlation coefficients were 0.94 for manganese, 0.99 for iron, 0.93 for copper, and 0.91 for zinc for XRF vs. AAS determinations. Similiar comparisons were performed on 228 samples of fast foods purchased in Utah retail outlets. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.91 for copper to 0.97 for iron and zinc. Comparisons of values generated by XRF for manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium, arsenic, and aluminum to values certified by the National Bureau of Standards indicated no significant differences by student's t tests. The simultaneous multielement capabilities of XRF allowed for an extensive screening study for high levels of toxic minerals in the fast foods. Levels of selenium, arsenic, and aluminum in fast foods were determined by XRF. Inductively coupled plasma was used to screen for high cadmium levels since cadmium detection limits by XRF were too high to be of value.