Why does beef jerky cost so much

Downsides of beef jerky

It’s very high in sodium, with a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving providing roughly 22% of your daily sodium allowance, which is set at 2,300 mg per day ( 5 ). Excessive sodium intake may harm several aspects of your health, including heart health, blood pressure, and stroke risk ( 2 , 6 ).

When the meat is dehydrated, 15 g of water gets removed from the meat and the protein ratio doubles to 14 g of protein for every 30 g portion. … This high protein-per-serving ration, plus the labor, time, and (mostly) quality ingredients it takes to make a single bag of jerky leads to the high cost you see at the store.

Meat Jerky Production in the US industry trends (2016-2021)

Demand for meat jerky has remained strong over the five years to 2021, driven by demand for protein-packed on-the-go snacks.

At the same time, processing facilities have dealt with labor shortages that have reduced their capacity to process meat at the same clip as before the pandemic. This reduced production came as demand for beef returned from both consumers and restaurants, forcing prices higher.

“In 2021, food-at-home prices are expected to increase between 2.5 and 3.5%, and food-away-from-home prices are expected to increase between 3.5 and 4.5%,”​ the agency noted.

TLDR: The increasing popularity of both Texas barbecue and Korean cooking is a double whammy that has caused the price of beef brisket to skyrocket. Any time that there’s only one relatively small cut of meat per animal, even small increases in demand can send prices soaring.

Drought conditions making it tough for California cattle ranchers to keep herds. Bringing in water and feed from other sources means the extra cost will be passed on to consumers at the supermarket. YOLO COUNTY, Calif. … The lack of rain and annual wildfires are forcing some to sell off their herds.

Technically, no, there aren’t any official food shortages. As of Oct. 15, 2021, the USDA’s website states that “There are currently no nationwide shortages of food.” What the country is actually facing are “disruptions in the supply chain,” according to Xavier Naville, a business strategy expert and author.

“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery prices noticeably increased for consumers. … “There were several reasons for the price increases: the rapid increase of eating at home; supply chain issues; and enhanced safety precautions.”