This will be the second review on a teriyaki beef jerky flavor for The Great Canadian Meat Company. While the ingredient list has not changed since 2008, the bag design has changed. Recently, this 2.4 ounce/68 gram bag was purchased at a convenience store in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
This jerky is distributed by The Great Canadian Meat Company, who are located in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. They were founded in 1992, as a two man operation. With their deli line, in addition to jerky, they have grown to one of the largest lines of meat snacks in Canada. It is a fairly common sight to see The Great Canadian Meat Company beef jerky for sale in Ontario convenience stores.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Water, Salt, Spice, Soy Sauce (Water, Extract of Soybeans, Wheat Flour, Monosodium Glutamate, Salt), Refiners Molasses, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Nitrate, Smoke 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.
The liquid marinade uses only water and soy sauce. As soy sauces go, this is not the healthiest recipe, namely because it uses the unhealthy flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG).
The sugar level is somewhat high at 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. For a sweet based flavor such as teriyaki, the preference is 5 grams of sugar or under. The salt level is high at 470mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky uses unhealthy sodium nitrate as a preservative. Also used is sodium ascorbate, which is much better. Ascorbate is from ascorbic acid, which is a form of vitamin C. Disappointingly, this jerky uses the unhealthy flavor enhancer Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in the soy sauce.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are small in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. There is a great dry texture, where this jerky is still relatively easy to chew. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
No taste really jumps out at first. There is a mild tasting soy flavor, and it is moderately sweet tasting. The natural beef flavor is at about a medium level. There is a faint peppery taste, and the salt level is within reason. While this jerky is pleasant tasting, it does not have all that much of a teriyaki flavor. Instead, it tastes more like an original flavor.
This 2.4 ounce/68 gram bag of jerky cost $5.49. That works out to $2.29, which rates in the upper threshold of an average price. Given that the ingredient list is not all that healthy, we do not recommend this jerky as worth your money.
Bag Review
This is a standard, resealable plastic bag. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag. In the yellow background is a maple leaf, very Canadian like. In accordance with Canadian law, there are French translations provided.
Their slogan is “Eat Some Energy!”. Other facts printed on this bag are “Smoked and Dried Beef”, “High in Protein”, “Low in Fat”. The back of the bag has a small, but good blurb about The Great Canadian Meat Company.
The majority of bag categories have been covered. Missing is a best before date. There is a number imprinted on the bag that is hard to read, which may be related to the best before date.
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