Jerky is packaged against air, light and moisture: air turns the fat rancid, light fades it, and moisture invites mold. The common choice is a foil stand-up pouch with a zip and a window, which blocks light, recloses, and still shows the jerky; an oxygen absorber in the bag takes out what air is left. A clear zip bag costs half as much and suits jerky that sells within weeks. A vacuum-sealed bag leaves little air, but packs the jerky flat and doesn't reclose. A custom printed pouch puts your brand on every bag once your products are settled. Jerky sold beyond your own counter comes from an inspected plant, and its label carries what USDA's labeling rule lists, including the official inspection legend and establishment number. In the example below, a Bozeman jerky maker prices four options: 16 to 63 cents a bag. Below are the options, the label, the example, and a free cost calculator.
The short version
- Air, light and moisture are what packaging keeps out.
- Foil stand-up pouch with a zip and window: the shop and market standard.
- Oxygen absorber in each bag to take out the air that's left.
- Clear zip bag: cheaper, for jerky that sells quickly.
- Vacuum bag: least air, but flat and not resealable.
- Printed pouch: your brand, after a big minimum order.
- The label lists the name, ingredients, net weight, your name and place, and the inspection legend with the establishment number.
- TaroStack keeps each batch's lot, the packaging in its cost, and where every case went. More below.
The options
| Option | Blocks light | Recloses | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foil stand-up pouch with zip and window | Yes, except the window | Yes | Shops, markets |
| Clear zip bag | No | Yes | Jerky that sells within weeks |
| Vacuum-sealed bag | No | No | Bulk, online, gift boxes |
| Custom printed foil pouch | Yes | Yes | A settled line in many shops |
An oxygen absorber removes the oxygen in a sealed bag; it doesn't replace the drying your process depends on. How a jerky process controls its hazards is in jerky HACCP plan.
The label
Under 9 CFR 317.2, a meat product's label shows its name, the ingredients, the name and place of business, the net quantity, and the official inspection legend with the establishment's number. FSIS's jerky guideline for small plants covers the process behind the label. Soy sauce and teriyaki marinades bring soy and wheat, which the ingredient list declares. This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: four options for a jerky maker
Cedar Hollow Jerky, the made-up jerky maker in Bozeman, Montana, I use in these examples, makes beef and venison jerky in a shared inspected kitchen and sells about 400 3 oz bags a week, at markets, online and to shops:
| Option | Parts | Per bag | 400 a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foil stand-up pouch with zip and window | Pouch 38¢, absorber, label | $0.50 | $199.92 |
| Clear zip bag | Bag 14¢, absorber, label | $0.26 | $102.00 |
| Vacuum-sealed bag | Bag 10¢, label | $0.16 | $62.00 |
| Custom printed foil pouch | Pouch 55¢, absorber, lot sticker | $0.63 | $252.55 |
Shops and markets get foil pouches; vacuum bags go into the gift boxes, where the box does the selling. The printed pouch waits until the line is settled, because 5,000 pouches of a flavor that doesn't sell is $2,750 on a shelf. On a bag that sells to shops for $6.50 and costs $5.33, the foil pouch is part of that cost, which is why it's in the recipe. How the jerky is priced is in how to price homemade jerky, and the business in beef jerky business plan.
Get the calculator
Download the jerky packaging calculator. Two sheets: components, each part of each option with its pack price, units, how many a bag uses and waste; and compare, each option's cost per bag and per week at your volume, with notes. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
Every batch of jerky dries a little differently, the pouches and absorbers run out, and a shop that finds a bad bag needs to know which batch it came from. A cost sheet doesn't know any of that.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each batch's lot, the packaging in its cost, and where every case went.
Each batch a lot. A batch of jerky records the beef lots it used, automatically, gets its own lot and dates, and lot labels print for the bags.
Packaging in the recipe. The pouch, absorber and label are items in each bag's recipe, so every batch uses them up at the price you paid, and the pouches left are counted by every batch.
Where it went. Each shop's order records the lots it got, so one recall report shows every customer a batch reached.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Which batch is in a bag | Written on the bag | The lot on its label |
| Pouches and absorbers left | Counted when you run out | Used by every batch |
| Which shops got a batch | Invoices | One recall report |
Lots, batches, recipes and true cost are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.