There are folks, around the world, that dry meat in the sun, hanging in the kitchen or breezy area, on sticks in a stream of Smoke or in cardboard boxes with a light bulb for heat, using Salt only. We also know that a Healthy adult can handle bacteria, especially if regularly being exposed and building immunity. So jerky made with the previous techniques are perfectly safe for those that regularly make and eat them...BUT...feed that to the average Purell slathering, Anti-Bacterial Soap showering, HEPA filtered conditioned air breathing American...And they would be in the ICU in a few hours... The tests run by the USDA show that there are risks cold smoking or dehydrating with no heat or without heating the meat to an IT of 160. If you may be giving jerky to the elderly, young children or the sickly with compromised immune systems, heating to 160 and using Cure is a good idea. We support USDA guidelines at SMF for members protection. Now, from previous discussion, the more you know about safe meat handling and prep, how bacteria grows, what effects growth like Salt, Sugar, Acid, etc, and how bacteria reacts to various temp over time, you can make a decision as to how you proceed...JJ
