Jack Link's
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Jack Link's, current as of September 2026. Screening averages and flag shares live in the short-answer band below. This hero only situates the catalog slice.
The short answer
Jack Link's averages 90.0/100 across the 204 of 410 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 43.1% of those contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. The figure summarizes Open Food Facts labels cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI; it does not establish recall status, allergy suitability, or the composition of products outside this snapshot.
- 90.0/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 204 scored products
- 410
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 43.1%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 97%
- of NOVA-classified products that are ultra-processed (Group 4)
Source snapshot current as of September 2026; open individual products before making a product-specific decision.
Portfolio reading
Use the distribution, then open the outliers
With 410 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Jack Link's Teriyaki Steak Bites; Beef stick and cheese; Beef Sticks; 43.1% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 90.0/100. Open those outliers first, then compare neighboring formulations. The aggregate does not establish recall status, allergen suitability, or the composition of an item outside this snapshot.
Catalog evidence
Ingredient-list coverage comes before the score
Only 204 of 410 tracked Jack Link's records (49.8%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 206 cannot be screened, so the 90.0/100 mean describes the labelled subset rather than the whole brand.
Next check: use the product rows below to verify the labelled subset, then compare the current package for any unscored item.
What the Data Says About Jack Link's
Jack Link's: 410 products tracked, 204 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 90.0/100, 43.1% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 49.8% of tracked records, this average is a description of the labelled subset, not a brand-wide tier. The coverage gap is the dominant limitation. Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Jack Link's's 43.1% flagged share is 25.1 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Jack Link's processing intensity
Jack Link's's NOVA-classified set is 199 products: 97% ultra-processed (Group 4, 193 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 193. That ultra-processed share sits 18.7 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Jack Link's shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Jack Link's concentrates in Snacks (68, 63% of this top-five); Meats and their products (32); Meat-snack (4); Dairies (2); Meat-snacks (2).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks | 68 | 91.8/100 | 30.9% |
| Meats and their products | 29 | 87.1/100 | 62.1% |
| Meat-snack | 4 | 83.8/100 | 100% |
| Meat-snacks | 2 | 100/100 | 0% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Jack Link's's 43.1% flagged share is measured across 204 scored products. The chart places that rate against the 50 brands with 50+ scored products in this snapshot, the same qualifying cohort used on the rankings page.
Jack Link's flagged share vs large-brand cohort
43.1% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
43% 0th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 0% of the 50 qualifying brands we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying brands. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0%–10%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 10%–20%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 20%–30%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 30%–40%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 40%–50%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 50%–60%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 60%–70%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 70%–80%
- 3 qualifying brands (6%)
- 80%–90%
- 25 qualifying brands (50%)
- 90% and above
- 22 qualifying brands (44%)
Source Open Food Facts × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (90.0/100) summarizes 204 scored products. This distribution shows whether that mean sits on a tight cluster or a wide spread, a few low-scoring SKUs can matter even when the headline average looks strong.
Jack Link's product score distribution
Brand average 90.0/100 across 204 scored products
90 42nd percentile sits above 42% of the 204 scored products we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 20–30
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 30–40
- 6 scored products (3%)
- 40–50
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 50–60
- 8 scored products (4%)
- 60–70
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 70–80
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 80–90
- 63 scored products (31%)
- 90–100
- 5 scored products (2%)
- 100 and above
- 116 scored products (57%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Sodium Nitrite is the flagged ingredient Jack Link's uses most
Across the 204 Jack Link's products scored here, Sodium Nitrite appears in 77. Only 1,491 other brands here use it (4.2%), which makes it a more particular choice than the flags that dominate the catalogue. A flag records that a named source raised a concern about an ingredient. It is not a finding that a product is unsafe to eat.
| Flagged ingredient | Jack Link's products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Nitrite | 77 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| BHA | 14 | Restricted: California (warning required under Prop 65) |
| BHT | 13 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Caramel Coloring | 10 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Red 3 | 8 | FDA ban effective 2027-01-15 · Restricted: California (AB 418; effective 2027-01-01); Federal (FDA; effective 2027-01-15) |
| Sodium Nitrate | 4 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Red 40 | 2 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Sucralose | 2 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
Counts are products in this database whose ingredient list names the flagged ingredient. Flags come from FDA enforcement actions, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings and US state ingredient laws; see the methodology for how each source is applied.
Visible product sample
Label complexity does not determine the screening result
Each point is one of the 50 concern-sorted Jack Link's records shown below. Horizontal position is the number of resolved ingredients on that product's stored label; vertical position is its source-derived screening score. The dashed medians (17 ingredients and 85/100) divide this displayed sample only. A longer label is not automatically worse: open a specific product to inspect its flagged rows and source coverage.
- Shown records
- 50
- Median label
- 17 ingredients
- Median score
- 85/100
The outlined point is Jack Link's Teriyaki Steak Bites, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (4). Bubble size represents flagged ingredient count plus one, so zero-flagged products remain visible. The score is derived from FDA SAFFA and CSPI fields; this chart does not establish recall status, dietary suitability, or a health outcome.
Read the plotted values
- Jack Link's Teriyaki Steak Bites: 17 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Beef stick and cheese: 29 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Beef Sticks: 17 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Jack links meat and cheese jerky snack combo: 24 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Original beef stick meat snacks: 17 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Original Beef Stick: 18 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Jack Link's Wild Mild Snack Stick: 21 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- ORIGINAL BEEF STICK-zero sugar: 8 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Beef Stick & Cheese: 29 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Beef & Cheese: 22 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- BEEF STICK & CHEESE: 23 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Beef stick and cheese jalapeño: 26 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Beef Pepperoni Sticks: 15 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Original Crinkle-Cut Pepperoni: 12 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Original Turkey Crinkle-Cut Pepperoni: 12 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Jack link's, beef sticks, original: 17 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Wild Hot Snack Sticks: 28 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Jack Link's Wild Original Meat Stick: 23 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Genoa salami & monterey jack cheese with jalapeno peppers: 15 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Meat Stick: 26 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Jack link's, bbq pork seasoned jerky, smoke: 31 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Handcrafted beef jerky: 12 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Beef Jerky: 12 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Pork Jerky Meat Snacks: 25 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Beef Steak: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Jack links Jerky Chew disc: 16 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Teriyaki Beef Steak: 26 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Original Beef Steak: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Premium Cuts Beef Jerky, Original: 15 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Jerky: 16 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Original beef Steak: 10 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Premium Cuts Beef Jerky, Sweet & Hot: 7 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Premium Cuts Beef Jerky, Peppered: 16 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Teriyaki Beef Jerky: 16 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef & Mild Cheddar: 7 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Tender Style Meat Strip: 10 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Steaks Original: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Tender Bites: 7 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Tender Bites Teriyaki: 18 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Tender Bites Original: 7 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Duos Mango Jalapeno: 19 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Mango Jalepno Duos: 17 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- DUOS: 34 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Duo Sticks: 28 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Jack link's, beef steak tender bites, original: 6 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Original Beef Jerky: 15 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- BEEF TENDER BITES TERIYAKI: 18 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Premium Cuts Beef Jerky: 19 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Tender Cuts, Prime Rib Seasoning: 22 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Steak: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
Products by Jack Link's
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 360 tracked records with unusable upstream names remain in the aggregate but are not shown.
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Jack Link's: closest on tracked product count (410 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (90/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
Similar product count
Nearest other brands by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Similar average screening score
Nearest other brands by average ingredient screening score (floored at ≥50 scored products), distinct from the count row.
Counts and averages from Open Food Facts labels screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine; neither axis is a health outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jack Link's food safe? ▼
Jack Link's has an average safety score of 90/100 across the 204 of 410 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 43.1% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Jack Link's products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 410 Jack Link's products. 204 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 206 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Jack Link's catalog? ▼
Jack Link's has 199 NOVA-classified products; 97% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 193 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Jack Link's catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Jack Link's concentrates in Snacks (68, 63% of this top-five); Meats and their products (32); Meat-snack (4); Dairies (2); Meat-snacks (2).
Does Jack Link's use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Jack Link's items list a synthetic dye on their label. For whether the company has committed to removing dyes, the FDA and CSPI both publish corporate-commitment trackers; we no longer restate those commitments here.
What to do with this Jack Link's profile
Use this roll-up as orientation, then verify the specific package you hold against its ingredient panel and the named official sources.
- Start with Jack Link's Teriyaki Steak Bites, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (4) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Sodium Nitrite appears in 77 scored Jack Link's products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Jack Link's's 90.0/100 average and 43.1% flagged share against other brands before treating either figure as a recall or clearance signal. Brand safety rankings
- Cross-check any additive concern against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine rather than relying on this derived index alone. Scoring methodology
A flagged ingredient records a source concern, not a recall, ban, or medical clearance. Always verify the current package label and consult official sources for product-specific decisions.
Citation & disclaimer notes
Brand scores aggregate ingredient-level FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings across Open Food Facts product data. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe.Disclaimer: Informational purposes only; not professional advice. A flagged ingredient is not a recall or a ban. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Brand figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026.
