Is Jack Links Beef Jerky Teriyaki ultra-processed?

2.85 oz Beef jerkies Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin

9 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score E

Less processed beef jerkies

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Beef, water, sugar (processing marker), less than 2% soy sauce (maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker)), flavorings (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), yeast extract, citric acid

Additives: E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Beef, water, sugar, less than 2% soy sauce [(wheat, soybeans, salt), maltodextrin], flavorings, salt, yeast extract, citric acid.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.

2 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 33 beef jerkies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 31st. 58% of the beef jerkies here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 33 beef jerkies, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0017082876355, last edited 10 May 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.