Because a certain person has taken it upon him / her self the task of
hounding me more than once about an incorrect interpretation of what I
was saying, at the same time possessing an apparent lack of scientific
knowledge, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a couple of
points.

First: the process for making jerky that I described was not intended
just for ferret food, but also for human consumption. My intent was to
describe a method for making jerky that is suitable for ferrets AND
humans.

Second: the heat treatment I described is NOT "cooking". What you are
doing is Pasteurizing it. The idea is to bring it up quickly to the
required temperature, VERY BRIEFLY, then immediately cool it so it
does not "cook".

As I stated before: making jerky is not about cooking the meat. It
is about drying it. If you prefer to cook your jerky, that is up to
you. But for traditional jerky that will have a reasonable shelf
life, and is also safe for human consumption, it should be given two
Pasteurization treatments: one before drying, and one after. Bring
the meat up to temperature, then cool it as rapidly as possible.

I would also like to repeat that the University of Alaska is one of
the world's foremost authorities on preserving food. They know what
they are talking about.

[Posted in FML 7533]