The next review on Fusion Jerky will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their chipotle lime flavored beef jerky. This bag was kindly submitted for review by the Fusion Jerky team.
The Fusion Jerky brand name is based of out of South San Francisco, California. It was launched in August 2014 by the owner KaiYen Mai. She was born into a family passionate about perfecting soft, traditional Asian jerky textures. Their craft and family recipes have been passed down to generations for nearly 50 years now. This jerky is manufactured by FusionRanch Inc. at a USDA compliant facility located in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Sugar), Spices, Dehydrated Vegetables (Red Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Garlic), Chili Pepper, Dehydrated Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Celery Powder, Natural Flavorings (includes paprika), Citric Acid. Allergen Warnings: Soy
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 consists of gluten-free soy sauce and vegetable oil. As soy sauces go, this one uses a reasonably healthy ingredient list.
There are a variety of healthy vegetables here in powder form. Red bell pepper powder and green bell pepper powder are the most interesting choices.
The only listed hot based ingredient is chili pepper. As a general rule, hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation. Curiously, no listed ingredient would indicate how the lime flavor is achieved. It is probably hidden in the vague, but fair term of natural flavorings.
The sugar level is high at 7 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or under. The salt level is respectable at 270mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Apart from salt, interestingly, celery powder is used to preserve this jerky with its naturally occurring nitrates. Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of beef are medium to small in size. This texture is dry, but not overly dry, which results in jerky that is relatively easy to chew. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves a small amount of residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a sweetness. Then some of the tanginess becomes more apparent. There is certainly a level of spiciness with this flavor as you consume more strips. You could say the spice level is mild to medium, depending on your tolerance of spicy foods. There is a mild soy taste, and this jerky is only mildly salty.
There is not a great deal of natural beef flavor, which is muted by the sweetness. The overall sugar level is a bit too high for our liking. While there is a tangy sort of flavor, there is not a clear defined lime flavor. Nevertheless, this jerky is tasty.
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $6.99. That works out to $2.33 an ounce, which rates as a borderline average price. They offer a very respectable flat shipping rate of $5.70 for most of the U.S.A. With a decent ingredient list used, we recommend this jerky as worth your money for people who enjoy a sweet and hot based flavor that has some tang.
Bag Review
This is a standard sized resealable bag. Every Fusion Jerky flavor comes in a different colored bag, where this flavor is a bright green color. In a clever way, the transparent window to view the jerky is shaped as a cow. The front has a somewhat authentic looking 3/4 lime slice, along with a chipotle pepper.
This bag has no clearly defined slogans. There are a number of facts stated on the bag such as “Artisan Beef Jerky”, “All Natural”, “High Protein”, “No Preservatives”, “Gluten-Free”, “Made in USA”, “No Artificial Ingredients”, “Minimally Processed”, “No MSG”, “10 Grams Protein Per Serving”, and “No Nitrates”.
The only bag category missing is that there is no soy allergen alert displayed. There is a small, but good blurb printed on the back about Fusion Jerky.
Order their jerky online: www.fusionjerky.com
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