The next review on Bridgford will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their teriyaki flavored beef jerky. This bag was purchased at a grocery store in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, back in December 2013.
The Bridgford jerky brand name is manufactured and distributed by Bridgford Foods Corp., located in Chicago, Illinois, at least in 2013. Today their headquarters has moved to Anaheim, California. Bridgford Foods Corp. started business in 1932 specializing in multiple food products, not just meat snacks, and currently have about 500 employees. While statistics change year to year, Bridgford consistently rates in the top five jerky makers for sales in North America.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Sugar, Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce [Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt], Wine, Sugar, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Spices and Flavorings, Succinic Acid), Teriyaki Powder (Teriyaki Sauce [Tamari Sauce [Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol, Wheat], Sake [Rice, Salt], Apple Cider, Vinegar, Spices, Salt and Flavorings], Modified Food Starch, Maltodextrin, Sucrose, Fructose, Natural Smoke Flavor), Salt, Dextrose, Dried Pineapple Juice, Maltodextrin, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The liquid marinade is just a teriyaki sauce. There is also a teriyaki powder used, where both of these teriyaki recipes contain average ingredient lists at best.
For a sweet based teriyaki flavor, the sugar level is reasonable at 4 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is somewhat on the high side with 340mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky uses both unhealthy sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite as the main preservatives, apart from salt. Admirably, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
The strips of beef are mostly small, with quite a few pieces that are very small. They are cut thick for the most part. The texture is dry, but not overly dry, where this jerky is easy to chew. There is no fat to be seen anywhere. This jerky does have a pinkish center, which is most likely from the sodium nitrite.
It takes a surprisingly long time to pick up on any flavors. The soy taste starts to set in, followed by a sweet taste, but light at first. As you eat more strips, the sweetness starts to build, but never goes overboard. There is a light smoky taste detected. This jerky does have that traditional teriyaki flavor, but only mildly. The saltiness level is minor to moderate.
I paid $6.99 for this 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky. That works out to $2.33 an ounce, just two cents away from the $2.35 limit for an average price. There are better choices out there.
Bag Review
It is quite obvious that this is a professional looking bag. The contrast of colors used is appealing. Everything is imprinted directly on the front and back of this bag, with no labels affixed.
The Bridgford logo is displayed, but not really much in the way of graphics. There slogan is “The Premium Brand”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Solid Strips of Smoked Beef”, “Made in the USA”, “Natural Style”, “98% Fat Free”, “No Refrigeration Needed”, and “Satisfaction Guaranteed”.
All bag categories are covered in this bag of jerky. With growing popularity, a QR code is displayed, along with social media icons for Twitter and Facebook. There is a rather lengthy blurb on the back of this bag giving a history of Bridgford Foods Corp.
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