Low Carb Beef Jerky

For those of you who have visited this site since the beginning, you would have seen my rant regarding Slim Jim's website and their lack of accessible nutritional information.

I managed to dig up Slim Jim's response to my initial message (I don't have a copy of my initial message to them because it was on a form and they didn't email me back a copy.) I know I said that I thought their website only marketed to one segment of their product line -- teen boys, and with the low carb buildup, they had a natural lead if they only followed through with nutritional information, different things that could be potentially done with their product, etc. (And please, go to their website and you will see what I mean about appealing to teenage boys!) I also said that their Slim Jim packaging made it seem that you needed to go to their site to get the nutritional information and it wasn't there.

As you can see, the response is from October 22 of 2002, and this is January of 2004 and they still don't have the information up.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Beneke, Renee (CAG-SF)" >
To: katherineprouty
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 4:47 PM
Subject: Slim Jim

Dear Ms. Prouty:

Thank you for contacting us about Slim Jim® nutritional information. I am very sorry that you did not find what you were looking for on the web site. Unfortunately, the package does imply that this information will be available on the Internet, but actually the package is asking you to write to the consumer affairs address (which was previously at Goodmark Foods.)

I am happy to provide you with the nutrition facts that you are looking for. I have included in this email the Nutrition label information for the Big Slim which is a .44oz stick. Please be aware that this information is subject to change and applies only to the Big Slim. The nutrition information for different flavors and sizes are each calculated separately.

I will forward your comments about the web site to the Marketing Manager for this product. I realize that the site is not ideal for someone looking for product information. In the past it has been used for promotional purposes but many of the links are out of date. It is our goal to improve the site and make it more useful and user friendly. We certainly appreciate your feedback about the state it is currently in.

I hope this information will be helpful for you. In the future we do hope to include this information on our web site. Thank you for taking the time to write to us about your concerns. Please contact me again if you need additional information.

Sincerely,
Renee Beneke

0048365A

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 1 package (13g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 70
Calories from Fat 60
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 190mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate less than 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
Calories: 2000 2500
Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
Saturated FatLess than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less than 400mg 2400mg
Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g
Dietary Fiber 25g 30g

Now I feel sorry for Renee, she has no power to change the information or the marketing message. She did the best she could, but, with the internet, food companies should know that information is what people want, and it shouldn't be this hard to get. (I know people want this information because I get hits on slim jim nutritional information on this site. That is why I dug through numerous mailboxes to find Slim Jim's response.)

In my intial rant, I asked for more information regarding other beef jerky companies. One comment, posted by Anne on January 1, told how to make your own beef jerky. Well, I just received another response from another company, which I am happy to print:

Thanks for your willingness to list my company information.

Gourmet Jerky is a California-based company established in 1992 specialized in premium quality beef jerky. Our mission is to provide the most delicious, natural jerky products to the most discriminating customers of the world. Customer satisfaction is our number one concern. We deliver a superior jerky value product through quality and service.

Tender and delicious, our jerky is made without sodium nitrate or monosodium glutamate and is 96 percent fat free. Our packages are vacuumed-sealed to ensure freshness and to guarantee optimum flavors including teriyaki, teriyaki-spicy, natural and natural-hot. The natural flavor jerky is sugarless and therefore contains very low carbohydrate(only 1 gram per serving), an ideal high protein Atkins' snack.

.
Matthew T. Cheung
Gourmet Jerky
2058 N. Mills Avenue, #318
Claremont, CA 91711
909-517-6480
909-621-6564(F)
gourmetjerky@aol.com

Following are nutritional information of my jerky products:

Natural and Natural Hot Jerkys
Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 oz. (28 g)
Calories 80
Calories from fat 15
Total Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 35mg
Sodium 320mg
Total Carbs 1g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 13g
Turkey Jerky
Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 oz. (28 g)
Calories 70
Calories from fat 0
Total Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 35mg
Sodium 390mg
Total Carbs 1g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 15g

Please note that I haven't tasted these, but the nutritional information, based on serving size, is great!

Update: Kristin agrees with me!

Hah! I am an Atkins dieter who just tracked down the Slim Jim website in an effort to find out what the carb count was for their products before ordering a bunch of them (they *are* tasty). I was sitting there clicking and clicking trying to find the pertinent information while thinking, "ok, obviously you want the 16 year old X-treme crowd to buy these, but you sure are turning me, who was about to spend forty bucks on a case, AWAY, by blasting me with annoying music while not including the information I need on your site." So I kept Googling to try to get the information and came upon your site, which expressed precisely what I was thinking. It was so exactly my thoughts that I laughed out loud. Thanks!

Comments

[Carl]

Slim Jim's site is really bad. We call it Flashturbation in the web design industry. Navigating the site is like playing Myst, trying to figure-out what each flashing rollover element does.

[Jonathan]

Thank you for this information. I, fortunately, found you first. I simply did a search on Google for slim jim nutritional information and your site popped up. Very helpful and again, thank you. This has helped me avoid others' frustrations.

[Melissa]

THANK YOU! :)

I too did a search for slim jim nutritional info and found your site.

I truly appreciate you taking the time to do this research for us!

[L]

Thanks for the information...It really helps when making good and poor food choices

[Hiku]

Like everyone else, I found this site on google. Thanks for the info. I tried the site first as well only to be a little upset that the site didn't put up the nutritional information (is it that hard?).
Thank you so much!

[Marcvs]

Another Googler, after I found that Slim Jim's site is completely useless.

When they keep nutrition information that tucked away (or non-existent) it just goes to show you that they are trying to hide something. I mean, come on, even McDonald's has their information openly available!

[Chinadoll]

I visited the slim jim site before coming across your website. I went there looking for nutritional information as well. I didn't get anything except total frustration from their website. It is useless! It does look like it was created to attract the young boys but it also looks like it was created BY a young boy. Thank you for the information!

[Gennifer]

Yet another Slim Jim information seeker here... who found their site totally worthless. Most companies have realized consumers go to the internet for more information but the site seemed to be an extended ad for kids who probably couldn't even figure out how to navigate it! I just wanted to say thank you for doing the research and posting it up for us! Now, if I could just find out about the tabasco flavor for my husband...

[Brandi]

I was looking for the nutrition info as well, on the ingredients of the packaging they list corn syrup and sugar so I immediately knew that this was not appropriate for a low-carb diet. All the jerkies I read in the 7 11 I was in stated they had corn syrup and sugar in them, but yet they don't list they have any sugars on the nutritional info? I believe this is to lure low-carb dieters in who don't know any better, beware of jerky. Unless ofcourse the ingredients show no sugar.

[kristina]

I cant believe how USELESS the slim jim sight was!!!! Thanks for doing the leg work on the nutritional info. What bad business practice to make NECESARY info so unobtainable!

[John]

I had a problem with this also, but when in the store look at the box that holds all the jerky....bam! there is the info.....

[Jeff]

LOL. I'm yet another Atkins dieter looking for Slim Jim nutritional info, and unable to find it at the Slim Jim site. Thanks for posting it! :D

[Mrs. Willeye]

Thanks! This is helpful (and funny!)

[Kristen]

Here is still another frustrated nutrition information seeker! The Slim Jim site doesn't seem to have any helpful information at all--just a few jokes for big fans of the product. Thanks for sharing your information. :)

[Renee]

Hello- Renee here. Ever google yourself just to see what comes up? Well- I found myself here. Yup- I used to do consumer affairs work for Slim Jim.... don't anymore.

Thanks for the giggles and for not ripping me apart for doing my job! Have fun!

[al]

you're the shiz-nizzle. muchas gracias and arigatoo gozaimasu.

[Tonia]

It is unreal. I was really shock to look for nutritional information on SlimJim's only to find that lame website. Then I found this messageboard with everyone feeling the same way. This was my favorite snack. I will not be purchasing SlimJims any more. They don't respect their consumers.

[Ms. Anderson]

Thank you so much for the info.Like the others i visited the slimjim website first and foundit of no use at all. I have a child with a metabolic disease and I have to track her protien intake and there was no nutritional information at all. Your site was a huge help thank you so much.

[daniel]

so wait is slim jim bad for you?

[Christian]

For those who buy the Giant Slim (27.5g), it is 150 calories.

Really while it is not good for you in terms of sodium and nitrates, the calorie count for the taste provided is way better than chips (which have 150 calories in 1 oz (a tiny handful))

Slim Jim should trumpted their fairly low calorie status. Instead they rely on third party websites to do it. Pathetic.

[Dana Raymond Hermanson]

those tasty treats are great but the mis leading suggestion that one can get nutritional info on the web site is a farce. It drives me nuts that companies like this one are able to "bend the truth" while we are left scratching our heads. with all the crap on the slim jim website could they not have squeezed in the nutritional info so many are seeking?

to bad i cant stop eating em.

[Vanessa Zahel]

I typed in slim jim nutritional information in my Yahoo search and your site information popped up. Thank you for this site. My 6 yr. old daughter is a type 1 diabetic and getting nutritional information on the things she likes is very important to me. Too bad Slim Jim doesn't realize the importance of this vital information.

[June]

yep, me too! :) went looking for slim jim info. the website still does not have ingredients or nutritional info listed anywhere that i could find. AND it was annoying to boot!! the others who complained about how annoying the site is said it right! too bad slim jim company has this mindset.

[LindaSonia]

Good Griefous!! in my search for nutritional info on Slim Jim's website, it didn't take me long to realize it just wasn't there. How fortunate your site was mentioned in my google search. Thanks for providing this info!

[LowCarber]

Thanks for putting this info up. I searched the website I didnt find anything either. It baffles me why the company must keep the nutritional info such a secret. So now I know Slim Jims are OK on my low Carb diet! Thanks!!!