This will be the third review on Old Trapper peppered flavor. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in Norval, Ontario, Canada, in November 2014.
The Old Trapper jerky brand name is manufactured and distributed by Old Trapper Smoked Products, Inc. They started business over 40 years ago, and are located in Forest Grove, Oregon. It is a fairly common sight to see Old Trapper jerky for sale at stores, where they appear to have a deep distribution network.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Brown Sugar, Water, Salt, Flavourings, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Vinegar, Sodium Nitrite Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
Just water and healthy vinegar are used in the liquid marinade. The term flavourings is vague, which could mean both healthy and unhealthy ingredients. In this case, black pepper must be part of the flavourings.
The sugar level is a bit high at 4 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is shockingly high at 650mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
As for preservatives, the unhealthy sodium nitrite is used. This jerky uses the highly processed flavor enhancer hydrolyzed corn protein. It is a type of MSG, and also an unhealthy type of trans fat.
Note: While this ingredient list does not contain any wheat or soy, the jerky is made in a facility with products containing wheat and soy.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These are generally small strips of jerky, with a medium thickness. The texture is on the dry side, but not too dry. A good texture that is relatively easy to chew. There are no visible signs of fat to be seen anywhere, and handling this jerky leaves no residue on your fingers. The meat has a pinkish hue, which means that a fair amount of sodium nitrite is used.
The natural beef flavor is detected first, and then the peppered taste quickly starts to build. There is some sweetness with this flavor, perhaps a tad too much, but tolerable. This jerky is a bit too salty also. The smoked taste is light, but enjoyable. This jerky does live up to its name with a medium peppery level.
This 5.4 oz/154 gram bag of jerky cost $10.50. That works out to $1.94 an ounce, which is an average price. While this jerky tastes good, there are healthier choices out there.
Bag Review
This is a resealable, transparent bag that has a label affixed on the front and back. The Old Trapper logo has a drawing of a man who looks to be a trapper, wearing what appears to be a squirrel hat, with mountains in the background.
There are no slogans on this bag, just some facts stated such as “Naturally Smoked Beef Jerky”, “Product of U.S.A.”, and “Naturally Smoked Since 1969”.
The majority of bag categories are covered. There is no blurb written about Old Trapper, and the jerky weight is not stated in ounces.
5/23/16: 3.25 oz. Old Fashioned Beef Jerky dated 09/20. When I went to have a snack, I found white mold in the sealed package. I have had a very difficult time trying to contact Old Trapper about this. There is never a live person on the 800 number, emails get bounced back, and they just don’t seem to care. There seems to be too much moisture in this jerky , leading to the mold problem. I guess overly moist product increases the profit margin by selling more water. I finally decided to leave a review on their Facebook page including a disgusting photo of the package, which brought some response but nothing meaningful. I replied instantly to their emails but no response or offer to replace the product. They tried to tell me the bag must have been damaged after it left their facility, but there is not even a pinhole that would have caused this mold to occur in the way they wanted me to believe. Even a microscopic hole would mean I could express air out of the package with pressure. This is not the case. Old Trapper’s Facebook review communication has been condescending and trite “I hope you enjoy your replacement jerky.” I was never directly contacted although I left a voicemail when this whole thing started, so they have my contact information. How can I enjoy my replacement jerky when no one from Old Trapper will speak to me to find out where to send a replacement?
Hi Candi, I tried to contact Old Trapper, but I got their voicemail also. I did not leave a message, figuring I would have no luck also. It is unfortunate with their poor customer service. On the good side, usually jerky makers are more than accommodating to replace a spoiled bag of jerky. I wish you luck in this, where social media is probably your best avenue.
It could be the salt content coming to the front.
Did you know the white film commonly found on the outside of dried meat is salt.
Salt that has been dissolved into a marinade, which the beef was soaked in before drying and is perfectly safe to eat.
It’s very uncommon for jerky of any kind to be moldy, it’s soaked in salty marinade and salt hinders bacterial growth along with the extensive drying it’s just not a great environment to allow bacteria to grow.