The Truth About Mold in Your Beef Jerky
You’re not alone if you’ve ever opened a bag of expensive beef jerky only to find white fuzz growing all over your snack. As disappointing as it is to find mold on jerky, it’s a reality in the beef jerky world that many consumers experience. So, what causes this issue, and why does it happen? In this educational piece, we’ll dive into the science of mold and the strict measures Stoney Point Premium Snacks takes to prevent it from happening.
What is Mold and Why Does It Happen?
Mold is a natural part of the environment that can be found anywhere there’s moisture and oxygen. Mold is a part of the fungi kingdom and thrives in moist places like soil, plants, and decaying organic matter. The truth is, if you take a deep breath right now, you’ve likely inhaled some mold spores. Gross, right? But, since mold is everywhere, it’s essential to know how it affects food—specifically beef jerky—and what can be done to control it.
How Do We Control Mold on Beef Jerky?
At Stoney Point Premium Snacks, we understand the frustration mold can cause, and we’ve taken numerous steps to ensure your jerky stays fresh and safe to eat. Here’s how we control mold growth during the production process:
- High-Temperature Cooking:
When processing cured and dried meats like beef jerky, the cooking process brings the internal and external temperature of the product to 158°F for beef (160°F for poultry). This temperature kills all pathogens, including mold spores that may be present. Mold spores in the air or on the surface of the meat are eradicated during this step, ensuring that your jerky is safe to eat from the start.
- Packaging with Modified Atmosphere:
After the jerky is cooked and cooled, it’s stored or cut before packaging. The product is exposed to the air at this point, which may carry mold spores. However, we take careful steps to control this. Modified atmosphere packaging means no oxygen is inside the bags; oxygen is crucial for mold and bacteria to grow. This is one of the most important steps to protect our jerky from mold.
The Role of Packaging and Oxygen Control
Packaging plays a critical role in preventing mold growth. High-barrier packaging is required for all of Stoney Point’s beef jerky, which involves multi-layered plastic or other materials to keep oxygen out of the bag. It’s important to note that not all packaging is created equal—if the packaging isn’t of high quality, oxygen can enter the bag, creating the perfect environment for mold to grow. Additionally, an oxygen scavenger is included in every bag to absorb any remaining oxygen, further reducing the chances of mold growth.
But sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Here are some situations where mold might still occur:
- Bad Seals: Oxygen can seep in if the bag doesn’t seal correctly, and mold can grow.
- Damaged Packaging: A small pinhole or manufacturing defect in the bag could let in air, making mold development easier.
- Expired Oxygen Scavenger: Oxygen scavengers have a limited shelf life. After opening the pack, these scavengers lose their effectiveness within about 15 minutes, which could allow oxygen to enter the bag and promote mold growth.
The Role of Water Activity in Mold Growth
Another factor that influences mold growth is water activity or the amount of free water available in the jerky. According to USDA regulations, beef jerky must have a water activity of 0.84 or lower to be safe. If the water activity level is too high, it provides enough moisture for mold spores to grow. That’s why we monitor water activity closely at Stoney Point to ensure our jerky meets all safety standards while still delivering that perfect texture you love.
Even with the best practices in place, mold can sometimes appear if the water activity is high enough to sustain growth. For example, a small piece of jerky with a water activity level of 0.73 is enough to allow mold to develop, even if 90% of the batch has a lower level.
Why Does My Jerky Have a ‘Best By’ Date, But Mold Still Grew?
This is a common question. A best-by date is meant to reflect the furthest date the jerky will maintain high quality under proper conditions. However, if the jerky’s packaging is compromised—whether from a bad seal, defective oxygen scavenger, or damaged bag—the product can still develop mold despite being within the best-by date. Always check for proper sealing and packaging integrity to prevent these issues.
Is Mold on Jerky Dangerous?
Here’s the good news: you’re unlikely to die from eating moldy jerky. While consuming mold isn’t ideal, it’s unlikely to cause severe harm. However, it’s important to follow the rule, “If it looks bad and contains fuzz, don’t eat it.” If you ever encounter mold on your jerky, discard it and reach out to our team for a replacement.
Stoney Point’s Commitment to Quality and Mold Control
At Stoney Point Premium Snacks, we take mold prevention very seriously. We follow strict internal guidelines to ensure mold is kept to an absolute minimum. We conduct daily water activity and oxygen level tests to ensure our jerky is packaged correctly and meets USDA standards. Even though we can’t guarantee 100% no mold issues (no company can), we work diligently to keep mold issues under 1% of our total production. With millions of bags produced yearly, we take pride in our low defect rate and quickly resolve complaints.
What Should You Do If You Encounter Mold?
If you’re a private label customer and experience a mold issue, don’t panic. Report it to Stoney Point with the lot number, and we’ll investigate. For single-bag complaints, we’ll replace the jerky for you. If the issue is widespread from the same lot, we’ll take corrective actions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Mold is an unfortunate reality in the jerky world, but you can minimize the risk by understanding its causes and how to control it. He takes great care to ensure our jerky is safe, fresh, and free from mold while still offering the great taste you expect. We’re committed to providing high-quality, delicious beef jerky and stand by our products every step of the way.
If you’ve got more questions about p or want to learn more about how we prevent mold, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help
Evan Arndt
(717) 359-5524
evanatstoneypoint@yahoo.com
Can you reheat the beef to kill the mold to make it safe??
Hi Joe, we recommend reporting it to Stoney Point with the lot number, and we’ll investigate. For single-bag complaints, we’ll replace the jerky for you. If the issue is widespread from the same lot, we’ll take corrective actions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Good morning Joe.
This is Evan Arndt the owner of the company. If you ever receive product that comes from us that has mold on please shoot us an email and we will replace instantly for you and give you a little extra.
If this is just a question on if you can re heat to kill the mold if it would happen than i have a different response. This is actually a great question Joe. Mold that grows on the finished jerky is difficult to restore to the product it ounce was. Mold changes the flavor and also produces toxins as it grows. Will you die if you rinse it off and re heat the product above 158 no but can you still get sick if the toxins are still present yes you could and honestly the jerky will just not taste real great. Most molds that grow on jerky are the same molds found growing on Strawberries and Bread in your house but unless tested you dont want to take the risk. Most companies will replace without question and is by far the best way to go.
Hope this helped to answer your question.
• Mycotoxins — Some molds produce toxic compounds that remain even after heat treatment. These toxins can cause serious health issues and are not reliably destroyed by cooking temperatures.
• Penetration risk — Mold growth may extend beyond the surface, especially in moist pockets or crevices. Reheating won’t reach all contaminated areas.
• Regulatory standards — USDA and FSIS guidelines do not permit reheating as a corrective action for mold on ready-to-eat meat products. Mold presence is considered a critical failure in sanitation or moisture control.