Al, Fe, Sn, Zn, Ca, Mg, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, and K in foods (including cat food) can be extracted by a HCl-HNO3 leaching method adapted from J. Maurer (1977) and determined quant. using flame at. absorption spectroscopy (AAS), with recoveries ranging 90-110%. Thirty to 40 samples of almost any type of food sample can be analyzed routinely for 2 elements in 4-5 h. In contrast, 1-2 days are required when a wet-ash or dry-ash technique is used. Extraction consists of weighing 2-10 g samples into 125 mL Erlenmeyer flasks, adding 20 mL concentrated HCl-HNO3 (9 + 1), then heating in an 82-93° water bath for 30 min. After cooling, samples are diluted to volume in 50 mL Nessler tubes and then filtered through Number 541 or 540 Whatman paper. The filtrate is analyzed directly by AAS.