On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Jerky in the oven, this drying includes the addition of salt to prevent bacteria growth before the meat has finished the dehydrating process.

Store-bought jerky commonly includes sweeteners such as brown sugar. Jerky is ready-to-eat, needs no additional preparation and can be stored for months without refrigeration. To ensure maximum shelf-life, a proper protein-to-moisture content is required in the final cured product. Many products which are sold as jerky consist of highly processed, chopped and formed meat rather than traditional sliced whole-muscle meat. These products may contain more fat, but moisture content, as in the whole-muscle product, must meet a 0. 75 to 1 moisture-to protein ratio in the US. This section needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Jerky is made from domesticated animals as well as game animals. In industrial settings, large low-temperature drying ovens with many heater elements and fans make use of exhaust ports to remove the moisture-laden air. The combination of fast-moving air and low heat dries the meat to the desired moisture content within a few hours. The raw, marinated jerky strips are placed on racks of nylon-coated metal screens which have been sprayed with a light vegetable oil to allow the meat to be removed easily. Chemical preservatives, such as sodium nitrite, are often used in conjunction with the historical salted drying procedure to prepare jerky. Smoking is the most traditional method, as it preserves, flavors, and dries the meat simultaneously.

To prevent the oxidation of the fat, the sealed packages often contain small pouches of oxygen absorber. Because of the necessary low fat and moisture content, jerky is high in protein. By removing 15 g of water from the meat, the protein ratio is doubled to nearly 15 g of protein per 30 g portion. In some low moisture varieties, a 30 g serving will contain 21 g of protein, and only one g of fat. Unpackaged fresh jerky made from sliced, whole muscle meat has been available in specialty stores in Hong Kong at least since the 1970s. The products are purchased by kilograms, and customers choose from 10 to 20 types of meat used to make the product. Some are sold in strands instead of slices.

Most nations have regulations pertaining to the production of dried meat products. There are strict requirements to ensure safe and wholesome production of jerky products. Factories are required to have inspectors and sanitation plans. In the United States, the U.

Traditional jerky, made from sliced, whole muscle meat, is readily available in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in varying meats, brands and qualities, both as packaged and unpackaged. These products are available in nearly every convenience store, gas station, supermarket, and variety shop in those countries, where there is a long history of jerky as a food of the pioneers. In addition to being common in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, jerky is also gaining popularity in supermarkets, convenience stores and online retailers in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Germany. They are carried by some major supermarkets, and now also smaller stores. In Tamil Nadu, India, the dish is known as uppu kandam which forms part of authentic non-vegetarian cuisine. It is normally eaten after deep frying rather than having it as it is. It is particularly attractive to militaries because of its light weight, high level of nutrition, long shelf life and edibility without further preparation.

Since traditional jerky recipes use a basic salt cure, sodium can be a concern for some people. Andean charqui, made in Peru, Bolivia and Chile, is from alpaca, llama or alpaca-llama cross-breeds. Peru is the world’s largest producer with approximately 450 tons produced per year. The manufacture of charqui principally consists of salting and sun-drying. Cusco, the meat is dried from whole bone-in carcass pieces, known as ‘charqui completo’.