Jerky, a nutrient dense, high protein, low carb dried meat, is any type of meat that’s been cured in a salt solution, reducing its moisture content to less than 50%. With archaeological evidence showing its been around since the time of the Egyptians, the word jerky is derived from the term ch’arki (or charqui) meaning ‘to burn meat’. An indigenous South American tribe, the Quechua, first began using the sun, wind and smoke from fires to preserve the meat of alpaca and llama sometime around 1550.
While most jerky products are currently imported, there’s a growing demand in the UK for jerky made from British beef. As we’ve seen an increase in demand for our high quality commercial dehydrators, people want relevant food safety information as well. Food safety surrounding the sourcing, production and storage of jerky is a major concern for those in the UK wanting to buy and consume this popular and tasty snack.
With this in mind, the first thing a potential commercial producer should do is become familiar with the legal requirements set out by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Although healthy and delicious to eat, jerky production is overseen by some pretty strict laws. And rightly so. Turning fresh meat into a preserved meat product is serious business right from the start.
Traditionally, jerky is made from lean strips of meat, such as pork, beef, lamb and poultry (although some feel raw poultry isn’t the best option due to the texture and flavour of the final product). Lean cuts of meat are best as fat can become rancid during production or storage resulting in unpleasant flavours, or even a ruined product.
You can use ground meat, or mince, to make jerky, but disease-causing microorganisms are harder to eliminate in mince than in whole meat strips. When using mince, choose mince with less than 10% fat content.
It goes without saying, when using quality, grass fed, British beef, you’ll benefit from enhanced flavours.
We’re lucky here in the UK as our red meat production is among the safest in the world. But it doesn’t just happen. According to the FSA Meat industry guide:
‘Food hygiene legislation emphasises every food business operator’s (FBO’s) responsibility to produce food safely by applying good hygienic practices and food safety management procedures based on hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) principles.’
You’re responsible for ensuring raw meat has been stored correctly, even before it lands on your loading dock. When the meat is received, it should be checked for temperature. Carcasses should be no warmer than 7°C.
As noted in the FSA Meat industry guide, regarding compliance of temperature control facilities, you should:
‘Take into account the need to comply with the temperature requirements for meat, provide sufficient refrigerated capacity at every stage of production, storage and transport and the means of monitoring temperatures to be sure that chilling is adequate and that the cold chain is being maintained.’
The two most common bacteria growths in incorrectly processed jerky, Salmonella and E. Coli, can prove deadly, making food safety vital.
If you’re a food business, you must comply with standards set out by the Food Standards Agency. When receiving raw meat:
Originally developed by NASA and a group of food safety specialists in the ‘60s, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an internationally recognised food safety and risk assessment plan. The plan outlines seven key principles in food safety:
In the UK, you’re required to implement and maintain hygiene procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles for meat plants.
The thickness of the meat strips, and the desired end result, will determine the choice of marinades and spices used to flavour the meat. Will your jerky be soft and moist or hard and dry?
Wet marinades have different consistencies and help foster a consistent flavour and distribution of salt and spices. The recipes may include oil, salt and spices, with acidic ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, teriyaki, soy sauce or wine. The use of vinegar (brown, white or apple cider) increases acidity, helping to hinder bacterial growth.
Traditionally, salt and smoke was used to preserve and flavour meat. While there wasn’t much variety, it did the job of preserving meat when it was plentiful for times when meat was scarce. Over the years, many cultures have added spices to improve the taste.
Today, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the sheer variety of jerky marinades, spices and flavours but good ole salt endures as the most common type of jerky seasoning. Salt is also key to lowering the water activity level, inhibiting the growth of some pathogens and spoilage bacteria.
With marinating times of anywhere between 6 and 24 hours, this should be done in refrigeration set at between 0 to 4°C. To ensure continued food safety, commercial refrigeration units should be stabilised prior to the start of any marinating period.
It’s essential to remove any pathogens, like salmonella, from the product. As well as monitoring the products internal temperature and water activity level, the relative humidity in the dehydrator oven is also critical. Food Safety Inspection Service in the United States recommends that humidity be added during the lethality treatment stage. A 90 percent relative humidity is recommended until the product is heated to an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F). This should be done before the drying stage.
Without humidity, the product surface can dry too quickly, and bacteria may become heat resistant. Some bacteria can become more heat resistant as their moisture level decreases, so maintaining humidity allows the product to reach a higher surface temperature and a greater reduction in microorganisms.
Humidity can be increased by sealing the dehydrator to create a closed system and placing shallow trays of water in the oven to increase moisture, or injecting steam or a fine mist into the dehydrator. Using a humidity sensor to check levels throughout the lethality treatment is strongly advised.
Once all steps have been taken to minimise pathogens, the drying stage can begin. Drying the meat is the final stage in the process from raw meat to jerky. The Food Standards Agency, following recommendations outlined by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), recommends that, as the meat for jerky is salted under refrigeration, it can be dried at a temperature of around 60°C.
The key is to achieve drying wherever there are bacteria which could spoil or make the product unsafe. For jerky, these bacteria may be on the surface.
The FSA, states that dried meats such as jerky, must be dried to a water activity level of less than 0.85 aw to prevent microbial growth. Weight loss of the meat is a good indicator of water activity.
The rate and amount of drying depends on factors such as:
The best way to guarantee a stable temperature and a safe final product is with a dehydrator. This way, temperature and humidity can be controlled.
Jerky strips should be laid out carefully on a tray in a single layer. Strips should not be overlapping or touching allowing plenty of air to circulate over and around each strip.
Some jerky is softer and easy to chew. This style of jerky has a higher water content and can be eaten much faster.
Hard jerky is more the traditional food and chews longer. This jerky stays on the drying racks longer, therefore losing more water content. There’s often less preservatives used in hard jerky as the extra drying time, resulting in more water removal, stops bacteria from growing.
Water activity (aw) is a measure of available water in food. That’s not as simple as how much water is in the food though, as some water is bound to other ingredients – like sugar or salt – and isn’t available. In the context of dehydration, this is important as it is the available water that microorganisms will use to facilitate growth.
When too much water is available, microorganisms can grow. Pure water has aw = 1.00 and raw meat has aw = 0.99. Jerky commercially produced in the UK, is legally required to be dried to a water activity level of less than 0.85. It’s a good idea to aim a bit lower for jerky.
The safest and most accurate way to monitor water activity is by using a water activity meter. It is also possible to measure weight loss to determine moisture loss, but this is not recommended for commercial applications. By the end of drying, jerky should have a water activity level below 0.75 and a moisture content of about 20%. It should feel dry.
Packaging for jerky must be anaerobic, essentially meaning all the oxygen has been sucked out. Removing the oxygen is thought to be one of the most effective ways to store beef jerky to retain its freshness.
This type of packaging prevents the growth of mycotoxin producing moulds due to moisture uptake during storage and prevents moisture ingress.
Food labelling standards for meat products in the UK are covered under the relevant legislation with a the FSA advising the following information must appear on food labels and packaging:
It’s your responsibility to be come familiar with these standards. The Food Standards Agency provides free online labelling training for businesses.
Jerky has a shelf life of around two years when safely stored in a vacuum-sealed package in a cool, dark spot. If the package shows any condensation or other signs of moisture, if it looks unusual or smells funny, it’s likely to have spoiled. And if it’s mouldy, chuck it in the bin.
Once jerky has been opened, store it in the fridge. Once the seal is broken, jerky needs to stay cold to maintain its flavour, texture and freshness. Jerky can keep for as long as a week by placing it in a zip lock bag and squeezing out all the air before popping it back in the fridge.
There’s a few basic principles to adhere to in any environment where meat and food products are being prepared. These include:
The highest hygiene standards should be maintained every step of the way.
Best practice is to clean it between every batch. The trays in our dehydrators are dishwasher safe and the insides of the dehydrator should be cleaned using a cloth and warm soapy water (being careful not to splash water onto the electrical parts). We recommend using a food-safe sanitiser spray to eliminate microbial growth.
Any cleaning chemicals should be appropriately stored. Staff should be trained how to use cleaning chemicals safely, so as not to cause accidents or contaminate foods.
It’s also important to ensure equipment is thoroughly dried after cleaning to prevent Listeria contamination.
As well as daily cleaning, including throughout the day, regular cleaning and sanitising should be scheduled for things like cool rooms and drains. It’s also a good idea to regularly clean shelving in chillers, door handles, door seals, switches.
All equipment used for monitoring should be regularly checked and calibrated to ensure accuracy. This includes:
If you’ve any questions about cleaning your commercial dehydrator, recommended settings, or other aspects to ensure a safe final product, let us know. We’re here to help guide you to producing jerky and other dehydrated foods that are delicious and healthy.
