Is jerky safe concerning parasites?
In the commercial production of beef (or any meat) jerky, how is the threat of parasites handled?
The at-home recipes are simply soaking the meat in a salt solution, then drying. Is this sufficient to kill parasites?
Best Answer
In the US, commercial jerky is inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service help ensure safety. See the FSIS Compliance Guideline for Meat and Poultry Jerky Produced by Small and Very Small Establishments for detailed information on commercial jerky preparation methods, which must include a "lethality" step based on heat, acidity, or other means to ensure pathogens are killed. They may also use more sophisticated methods to ensure proper drying.
Googling "jerky safety" will yield a wealth of University Extension results based on FDA research, providing specific recipes for safely creating jerky at home.
Traditional methods (soaking in brine, then drying) are not sufficient to kill all pathogens (not just parasites). The FDA now recommends the the "hot pickle cure" method as the most effective way of creating safe jerky.
See for example the recipe published via Cornell. In summary:
- Treat the meat carefully prior to jerking, using proper refrigeration and so on.
- Prepare a brine of the proper strength, and bring it to a boil.
- Dip the jerky pieces into the boiling brine long enough for them to turn grey.
- Dry in a temperature controlled dehydrator, checking for sufficient drying (the meat should crack when bent).
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Quick Answer about "Is jerky safe concerning parasites?"
When making jerky from wild game, the meat needs to be treated to kill trichinella parasite before it can be sliced and marinated. Trichinella causes the disease trichinosis.Can you get parasites from jerky?
There are two main food safety risks to consider when dealing with venison jerky: E. coli and parasites. E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the guts of deer and can get transferred to the meat during field dressing.Does beef jerky have parasites?
Only thorough cooking will destroy all parasites. Heat the meat to destroy bacteria, such as Salmo- nella, Listeria and E. coli. Use either the marinade method or the dry-cure method to kill bacteria and parasites and dry the jerky.How do you know if jerky is safe to eat?
Jerky can be considered \u201cdone\u201d and safe to eat only when it has been heated sufficiently to destroy any pathogens present and is dry enough to be shelf-stable. Shelf-stable means the jerky can be stored at room temperature and will not support microbial growth.Is dehydrating jerky safe?
Destroying Microorganisms in Jerky The temperatures of dehydrators and oven dehydrating are not high enough to destroy harmful microorganisms that are typically present in raw meat. Even though fully dried jerky may appear done, it is not safe to eat unless it goes through an additional heat treatment.Do You Have Parasites? The Answer Might Surprise You! :O
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