nutrition labels for beef jerky

The short version

Beef jerky is a labeling special case. Because it's a meat product, it usually falls under USDA FSIS jurisdiction rather than the FDA — which means the nutrition panel format is nearly identical, but the oversight, establishment number and inspection requirements are different, and the label carries a USDA inspection legend. On the numbers, jerky lives on protein and battles sodium.

Serving size — the part people get wrong

Reference amount: 1 oz (28 g) for jerky and meat snacks. The reference amount for jerky and dried meat snacks is 1 ounce (28 g). Note the regulatory home: meat (beef, pork) and poultry jerky is regulated by USDA FSIS, not the FDA. The Nutrition Facts format is essentially the same, but you'll deal with USDA label approval and an inspection legend rather than FDA rules — plant-based or exotic 'jerky' outside USDA's species list may stay under FDA.

Allergens you have to declare

The marinade is where jerky's allergens live: soy sauce (soy + wheat), Worcestershire (fish/anchovy, sometimes), and teriyaki (soy, wheat, sometimes sesame). The meat is allergen-free; the flavor is not. A soy-and-wheat 'Contains' line on teriyaki jerky is the norm. Declare each by name.

The Nutrillius generator auto-detects the Big-9 allergens from your ingredient list and writes the Contains statement for you — useful even if you only need the ingredient list.

Claims you can (and can’t) make

Every nutrient-content claim on the package has a legal threshold the panel must back up. For beef jerky, the ones that come up most:

• Good/Excellent source of protein — protein ≥ 5 g (good) or ≥ 10 g (excellent) per serving — easy for jerky.
• Low sodium — ≤ 140 mg per serving — genuinely hard for cured jerky; most exceeds it.
• No added nitrites/nitrates — requires uncured processing; if used, USDA requires the 'uncured' and 'no nitrates added except those naturally occurring' language.
• Keto / high protein — 'high protein' needs ≥ 10 g per serving; 'keto' isn't FDA/USDA-defined — pair with real macros.

The builder shows which claims your recipe already qualifies for as you tweak it — see the rounding rules for how the declared numbers behind those thresholds are set.

A sample beef jerky label

Teriyaki Beef Jerky

INGREDIENTS: Beef, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), brown sugar, teriyaki sauce (soy sauce, ginger, garlic), sea salt, black pepper.

Contains: Soy, Wheat.

Serving size 1 oz (28g)

Soy and wheat both surface from the sauces, not the beef. This label also needs the USDA inspection legend and establishment number — the piece that's different from an FDA product.

Where beef jerky makers slip up