Meijer is a family business. They believe in treating each other with dignity and respect. They are committed to strengthening the communities we serve. Meijer is known for its freshness. Focusing on fresh food, thinking, and innovation makes them better at serving their customers. Fred Meijer always said, “Customers don’t need us. We need them.” At Meijer, they focus on our customers and thrive by meeting their needs and exceeding their expectations.
This Meijer jerky brand is distributed under the name of Meijer Distribution, Inc., and it is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This jerky is manufactured by an unknown private labeler (I have a guess), and this jerky flavor is most likely a stock recipe.
The first review on Meijer will focus on a 2.85 ounce/81 gram bag of Peppered flavored beef jerky. The bag was purchased at a gas station in Marysville, Michigan.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Sweetener (Cane Sugar, Honey), Brown Sugar, Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Less Than 2%: Spices, Cultured Celery Powder, Sea Salt, Onion, Garlic, Natural Flavor.
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 just honey.
Some healthy ingredients added are cracked black pepper, spices, onion, and garlic.
The sugar level is acceptable at 3 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 540mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Admirably, this flavor does qualify to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
MEIJER – PEPPERED BEFF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell nothing at all, but I see a fair amount of pepper flakes on the jerky. Somehow Meijer managed to find a way to make the pepper adhere to the jerky strips. They’re not really strips. They are large, thick, and chewy. I like the texture.
When I bite into the jerky, I am immediately knocked on my keester. The pepper flavor is jumping out at me, strangling my taste buds, but in a very good way. Other flavors are salt, at a reasonable level, a little sweet but not at the forefront, garlic, and natural beef.
I am thoroughly enjoying this flavor of jerky, although I’m a bit biased, being such a pepper junky and all. This jerky is as advertised and then some. A very hearty and well-deserved 10/10. Gentlemen?
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
Meijer – Peppered Beef Jerky has a great aroma and falls short on taste, as this jerky is too sweet, and the pepper flavor overwhelms the flavor of the beef. I am pretty disappointed since Peppered is one of my favorite flavors. The taste of beef, black pepper, and a touch of sweetness is usually a great combination when the ratios are well balanced, and it is not the case here.
The texture is excellent, and the jerky’s flavor profile, richness, and complexity do fall short. I appreciate good jerky when the seasoning is in the background and adequately respects and complements the flavor of the beef. This jerky has the potential to be an excellent jerky with a little more time spent back at the drawing board, I’d rate this jerky a 7 or 8/10 Taste Rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Peppered beef jerky flavor from Meijer: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the honest taste reviews. True the pepper is at a good level, but hard to criticize a peppered flavor for tasting too peppery. My problem with the texture is that there is no grain to tear these strips and the beef flavor tastes somewhat processed. While there is sweetness present, a little too much for my liking, but I suppose it is at an acceptable limit.”
“Other than that, there is not much else to this flavor except for faint hints of garlic and smokiness. With Paul at a 10 and Stéphane and myself at an 8, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2.85 ounce/81 gram bag of jerky sells for $3.89, which equates to $1.36 an ounce. That rates as a very cheap price.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has everything imprinted on the bag, both on the front and back.
There are no slogans displayed. Some facts displayed are “Natural Smoke Favoring”, “No Added Artificial Preservatives”, “No Artificial Flavors”, “Minimally Processed”, “10g Protein Per Serving”, and “Gluten Free”.
The only missing bag category is a blurb about this jerky or company. There is a fair amount of unused space both on the front and back. To the credit of Meijer, a satisfaction guarantee is offered.
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