The brand name No Name is a line of generic brand grocery and household products sold by Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer. Launched in 1978, all items are sold in black and yellow packaging and generally offer savings of between 10 and 40 percent over national brands. This jerky is actually made by an unknown private labeler, meaning that this original flavor is a stock recipe. The No Name jerky brand is distributed by Loblaws Inc., and they are based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The first review on No Name will focus on a 2.8 ounce/80 gram bag of their original flavored beef jerky. Earlier last year, I moved to a new PC and accidentally lost the purchase information on this bag. This bag was purchased at a grocery store in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Sugar, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Cultured Celery Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoke Flavor, Vinegar Powder (White Vinegar, Sodium Hydroxide), Smoke.
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 used here is just plain old water. The vinegar is in powdered form and uses sodium hydroxide, otherwise known as caustic soda or lye, to lose a rating.
There are some healthy ingredients added, such as black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
The sugar level is acceptable at 2 grams of sugar per 27 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 540mg of salt per 27 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is ignored because healthy, minimally processed sea salt is used.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite. Instead, apart from sea salt, cultured celery powder is used as a preservative. Admirably, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
NO NAME – ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY
When I open up the bag, I detect the smell of smoke. These jerky strips are medium to small in size and sliced to a medium thickness. The texture is dry and requires a reasonable effort to chew. There is no oily residue left on your fingers handling these jerky strips.
The first tastes detected are light levels of black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. The saltiness is at a fairly strong level, and the sweetness is at a mild level. In the background, there is a light level of smokiness present. Some strips contain some fat that helps accentuate the beef flavor.
The beef itself does have a distinct mild level of tasting processed. In no way, shape, or form does this jerky come across as tasting similar to homemade beef jerky. Instead, the beef comes across as big brand tasting.
Nothing draws me to this original flavor. I have zero desire to finish the bag off, where our Jerky Ingredients mascot Whippet Lexi will be the benefactor. We previously reviewed this same original stock recipe before for a different jerky brand. We awarded a generous Alight (6/10) taste rating the time before. To remain consistent, a 6 rating will be awarded again.
This 2.8 ounce/80 gram bag was purchased for $5.99. That equates to $2.13 an ounce, which rates as a cheap price.
Bag Review
This yellow resealable plastic bag has everything imprinted directly on the bag, both on the front and back. The bag itself looks rather no name with plenty of unused space.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed are “Smoked”, “11g Protein per 27g Serving”, and “A satisfying snack that’s a good source of protein”.
All bag categories are covered with this bag. As per Canadian law, French translations are provided. There is a Satisfaction Guaranteed offered. To the credit of Loblaws Inc., a toll-free phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
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