Free Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) Flashcards

Water content and water activity (aw) are not the same measurement: a food can feel dry on the surface while still holding enough loosely bound water internally to support bacterial growth. Commercial jerky is processed to a validated aw below 0.85, specifically low enough to prevent pathogen growth, and that target is verified with equipment most home kitchens don't have. Home-dried jerky without that verification should be treated as a higher-risk product and refrigerated, since surface dryness alone cannot confirm the internal water activity is actually low enough for safe shelf storage.