diggingdogfarm
Master of the Pit
Last edited:
Jeebus
I been making jerky since 1976 and never had any problems. Y'all have fun with this un needed argument.
For one thing this it not entirely true. It creates a false dichotomy of that temperature is the only factor in safety. They use temperatures that kill pathogens instantly, or you can use lower temperatures for longer. Look at the pasteurization of milkIt doesn't matter how the jerky is made, in a dehydrator, a smoker, or behind a jet engine, it's the "rulers" position that it be heat treated to 160 degrees before it's dried.
Why is it a food safety concern to dry meat without first heating it to 160 °F?
The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F — temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed — before the dehydrating process. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/jerky_and_food_safety/index.asp
The info on the National Center for Home Food Preservation's site does conflict with that in a serious way, In fact, they say to heat it to 160 before or (exactly the opposite) after drying...... I suppose that it'll probably take several million more dollars in tax money before the" food safety gods" at the USDA can resolve the conflict.
~Martin