One of the most common methods used in the food processing industry is the dehydration of the food. The entire process of dehydration works in a certain way that moisture is completely taken out of the food source in order to extend the shelf life of the food and infesting it with microorganisms.

Known to be one of the most popular and old methods which were used in the preservation of food, the dehydration business has been going on for a very long time. Starting from North American Indians who used dehydration for sun-drying their meat products to the Chinese dried eggs, now the entire industry of food processing has dedicated a major share of their resources for the dehydration of foods and different beverages.

Mostly meat products and dairy products go through the entire process of dehydration to ensure that their shelf life is extended. For example, beef jerky is one of the most common items that are created in the food processing industry with the help of dehydration. Several methods are used in order to increase the beef jerky shelf life.

This article will discuss briefly the creation and storage of beef jerky using oxygen absorber bulk. This post will let you know how long does dehydrated beef jerky lasts and how to dehydrate meat for long-term storage.

The oxygen absorbers bulk is the sachets that are used by many food processing units in order to keep air, oxygen, and moisture away from the beef jerky. But do oxygen absorbers absorb moisture? Well, read on ahead to find out more.

Importing And Exporting Dehydrated Meat Products

Ever since the existence of dehydration processes in the food and beverage industry, people have been fascinated by the creation of beef jerky. To extract the entire moisture out of the meat to make it last for a long time is something that can help in extending the shelf life of the meat. This is one of the main reasons why meat processing factories are all focusing on the production and import/export of beef jerky and other dehydrated meat products.

However, doing that isn’t that simple. There are certain issues that can crop up when it comes to the production of beef jerky and the extension of its shelf life. For example, one of the most common issues for the shelf life of beef jerky would have to be moisture. You see, after the completion of the dehydration processes, it is imperative that the beef jerky is stored in a sealed environment so that it stays away from moisture. After all, it is the lack of moisture that allows the microorganisms to grow and create beef jerky. Very often, it happens that moisture might find its way back to the beef jerky and as a result, it might not be suitable for import/export.

Does Beef Jerky Go Bad?

The answer to that question would have to be yes. The question here is whether the beef jerky is home-made or store-bought. The beef jerky that is bought from the stores will be able to last for a period of about 2 years if the container remains unopened. However, home-made beef jerky doesn’t last that long.

The factors that are responsible for the lasting of the beef jerky are mentioned below.

Complete Lack of The Fat

Since beef jerky tends to be a lean and thin cut piece of meat, there is literally no fat amount in it. So, the beef jerky lasts for a longer duration of time.

No Moisture

One of the main factors for bacterial growth is moisture. Beef jerky is created in an environment with no moisture and hence is able to extend the shelf life of the product.

Curing

Beef jerky has got a salty taste, to begin with. This is because it is treated and cured with the help of salt. The process of salt curing helps in preserving the beef jerky so that it can last for a very long time.

How Long Will The Beef Jerky Last?

One of the main questions revolving around the storage of beef jerky is that how long does dried meat last? Well, the contamination, storage factors, moisture, ingredients, and the time period are all factors that decide the shelf life of beef jerky.

The product packaging has the expiration date so that you can check it out before you buy the beef jerky.

Now how to tell if beef jerky has gone bad? Well, there are some methods that you can use for checking the spoilage if the package doesn’t mention the expiry date clearly.

Checking for signs of moisture is one of the ways to see if the beef jerky has gone bad. If there is the formation of water droplets, then there are chances that the beef jerky has gone bad. Also, you can check by pressing every single piece to see if there is any softness. If there is, then the beef jerky is probably bad and it is a sign of bacterial growth. Also, unnatural odors are a great sign for checking the spoilage too.

How To Store Beef Jerky For Peak Flavor And Freshness

It is essential to know how to store beef jerky if you want to extend the shelf life of the product. There are different beef jerky packaging requirements that need to be followed for proper storage of the product. Here are some of the steps that you need to follow.

Limit The Air Exposure

Retaining the same quality of the beef jerky can be done by sealing it in an airtight container. Most people would recommend the use of oxygen absorber sachets which can help in preserving by not allowing oxygen to enter the beef jerky.

Eliminate The Sources of Moisture

Water in the beef jerky will make it go bad very soon. You need to make sure that it stays dry for the retaining of the shelf life. Using oxygen absorbers, the moisture content can also be eliminated from the product.

Control The Temperature

Most of the time, over sweating the beef jerky spoils the quality of the product. So, storing your beef jerky in a particularly cool temperature will be a good idea. Try freezing the jerky before you store it in the 50cc oxygen absorbers.

Maximizing Beef Jerky’s Shelf Life

Here are some tips and tricks that you can use in order to retain and maximize the shelf life of your beef jerky.

Allow the beef jerky to cool down for some time before you store it in the oxygen absorbers 300cc

Storing the beef jerky in a particular paper bag will allow it to remove all traces of moisture from the product.

Using oxygen absorbers can also be a great way of maximizing the shelf life of the beef jerky. With these absorbers, oxygen can be completely eliminated so that the bacterial growth can be stopped in the beef jerky. There are many sizes available for oxygen absorbers. The most common ones are the 500cc oxygen absorbers and the 2000cc oxygen absorbers. It is important to decide what size oxygen absorber to use depending on the beef jerky that you have.

Vacuum packaging is another way of extracting the oxygen in order to prevent the beef jerky spoilage.

Conclusion

The storage and care of beef jerky are really important in order to maximize the beef jerky shelf life. Although all these methods are pretty common in the food processing units, the use of oxygen absorbers is one that is used most of the time.