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Yeah, I'd say salt, as well. You could scrape it off and taste it, to be sure...shouldn't be any safety issue.
I don't recall ever running into that with cured jerky I've smoked and dried. I use Morton's Tender-Quick and mix my own spices...if you're a bit under a Tbsp of salt/lb of meat should be fine. Even that ratio seems pretty salty to the taste.