photo credit: avlxyz

A venerable foodstuff that has been relegated to the checkout counter in gas stations and convenience stores, beef jerky actually has a proud heritage. Here are somethings you might want to know.

1. Jerky is a means to preserve meat without refrigeration.

2. Traditionally meat was dried and/or smoked and/or salted. Marinading is another technique used to add additional flavoring.

3. Although beef is the most common type of jerky, one can also find jerky from wild game such as venison, elk, caribou, and moose. Even kangaroo meat.

4. The origin of the word Jerky is from Native American “Charqui” which means “to burn meat”.

5. Jerky quality varies greatly and depends on the choice of meat, the preservatives, and the preservation technique.

6. There are many jerky-like products that consist of highly processed, chopped and formed meat, rather than traditional sliced, whole-muscle meat. Try to stay away from them.

7. A good jerky is very lean; fat usually causes spoilage. In cheap products with high fat and water content, many chemicals are added as preservatives to prevent spoilage.

8. Here’s the ingredient list of a leading brand of jerky (Jack’s Links)
Beef, Water, Sugar, Less than 2% Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Dried Soy Sauce (Soybeans, Salt, Wheat), Hydrolyzed Corn and Soy Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin, Flavorings, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.
Unfortunately the consumer can’t tell what the beef quality is from the ingredient list. The package does state that it 97% fat free though.

9. Nutritionally, jerky is low in fat and high in protein. The major issue is the exorbitant amount of sodium. A 1 oz serving contains up to 15 grams of protein (25% of the daily value), but 600mg of sodium (25% of the daily maximum). The protein is nice to have, but as most Americans are getting enough protein in their diet, it’s the excess sodium that should be of concern.

10. Many jerky products are sold in 3 oz packages, so people who finish off an entire bag end up consuming 3 servings at once (usually gulping down a sugary soft drink to combat the major salt deposits from the jerky).

11. Beef Jerky is astronaut food! NASA has been providing Space shuttle crews this lightweight high protein treat since the mid nineties.

12. Many people are very passionate about Jerky. Here is one – with a blog dedicated to reviewing all jerky products out there.

13. A tragic explosion in a ConAgra manufacturing facility last month has created a shortage of the wildly popular Slim Jim brand jerky nationwide.

What to do at the supermarket:

Look for the higher quality brands made from low fat beef strips, not processed beef. Also, watch the sodium.

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The long weekend marks the beginning of this year’s barbecue season, and if you’re like most Americans, there will surely be some form of frankfurter sizzling away on your grill.

Hot Dogs are a big business (billions of dollars a year), and as the weather heats up, so do the marketing battles between the market players.

As food companies like to sue each other every once in while in turf wars, how timely it is to read about a weiner war, with Kraft’s Oscar Meyer Brand getting sued by Sara Lee (Ball Park brand) over “We are tastier” claims.

From a nutritional standpoint, the products are very similar, and sadly, very poor in nutritional value.  Read more…

It’s not the most important meal of the day. And it’s not the heartiest either. Lunch, the get-it-on-the-run or have-it-at-the-computer meal doesn’t get enough respect. And how could it, when products like Oscar Meyer’s Lunchable’s take its name in vain.

We tried and tried to find something healthy and nutritious among the dozens of Lunchable products. Unfortunately all we encountered was a nutrition desert, left in shambles by sodium blizzards and trans fat torrents.

Read on for an analysis of Oscar Meyer’s Lunchables Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers… Read more…

1. Sodium Nitrite and its closely related Sodium Nitrate are food preservatives used primarily in prepared meat and fish such as ham, bacon, hot dogs, corned beef (spam), luncheon meats, and smoked fish.

2. Sodium Nitrite helps preserve the pink / red color of the meat which should have been grayish having been precooked. It also adds a characteristic flavor.

3. It also wards off against clostridium botulinum, the bacteria responsible for botulism, a dangerous disease causing respiratory and muscular paralysis.

4. Unfortunately, when cooked or broken down in the stomach, nitrites form nitrosamines (also called N-Nitroso Compund), which can cause cancer in young children and pregnant women.

5. Adding ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to the food product greatly reduces the formation of nitrosamines

6. USDA Meat Inspection Regulations have limited the use of nitrite to 200 ppm.

7. Spinach, beets, lettuce, celery, parsley, and cabbages are among vegetables with high concentrations of nitrates. The amount is determined by the plant’s genetics, age, and the amount of nitrate in the soile which have shot up because of increased use of nitrate fertilizers. But don’t stop eating these veggies, many of them also contain vitamin C, naturally limiting the formation of the toxic nitrosamines.

What you need to know:

While botulism is dangerous and nasty it is also very rare, therefore using botulism prevention as a reason to pump meats with nitrites is not acceptable. Proper refrigeration reduce the risk of clostridium botulinum bacteria as well. While the amount of nitrates has been reduced substantially over the years, why not get rid of them completely?

What to do at the supermarket:

Check the ingredient label next time you buy some deli style meats. If you want to avoid nitrates, your chances are higher with organic products.

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