A laboratory analysis of total fat content and an examination of portion size of foods served in four New Jersey public middle-school foodservice operations

This study reports the actual laboratory-tested total fat amounts and portion sizes of food samples taken from four New Jersey public middle-school cafeterias. It is based on the hypothesis that the actual total dietary fat of foods served by schools can vary from published school foodservice administration expectations and surveyed findings in the literature. Seventy-two individual food samples were taken from middle school cafeterias. Total fat analysis was done using a standard Association of Official Agricultural Chemists method. Portion size and total fat values were compared with listed amounts in school foodservice records. With the exception of certain menu items with significantly higher than total fat listed, the average total fat across the schools was generally close to values reported by the schools. Average portion sizes were more problematic and overall, generally higher than documented values. Concerns with respect to portion size and total fat consistency were revealed.