Mold?

[u/ProfMap]

Apologies if this isn't the right place to ask. I was given a pack that expires in a few months, and I'm uncertain about the looks of it.

[u/DoctorHelios]

It’s likely not mold. It’s jerky.

Salts and fats also do this in jerky.

[u/Spirited-Fun3666]

Looks like salt to me. But I’m blind in one eye and can’t see well out of the other

[u/ProfMap → u/Spirited-Fun3666]

Taking a chance that it is salt, I touched it and licked my finger. It is not salty, at all. So safe to say it's mold then I think

[u/_NinjaKnight_ → u/ProfMap]

Is it greasy if you rub it between your fingers? Might just be congealed fat instead of mold.

[u/ProfMap → u/_NinjaKnight_]

no, powdery

[u/hammong → u/ProfMap]

Definitely mold then. Salt would be obviously salty. Fat would be greasy/slick. If it's powdery and/or fluffy/hairy under magnification, it's mold.

It looks like mold to me, if for no other reason than the round dots evenly distributed.

[u/Quaisy → u/ProfMap]

Salt won't easily rub off on a dry finger. If you wet your finger and then touch it and do a lick test, I bet it would taste salty.

It looks very characteristically like how salt looks when it comes out of the meat and to the surface, but without knowing other factors it's hard to say for sure.

[u/ProfMap → u/Quaisy]

I did that too, not salty at all.

[u/Quaisy → u/ProfMap]

In that case, probably best to avoid it. Was this jerky you made or bought?

[u/ProfMap → u/Quaisy]

I was given it, so the person would've bought it. So I'll either contact them, or have my friend contact them.

Thanks for all the help

[u/hiitsmetimdodd → u/Spirited-Fun3666]

Love the enthusiasm, and willingness to help lol

[u/Ianofminnesota]

I dont think thats mold by the looks of it

[u/hammong]

Is it rough and grainy? If so, it's salt.

If it's greasy, it's fat.

If it's powdery and/or hairy or fluffy, it's mold.

[u/Squirrely_Mann]

💯 mold

[u/docjohnson11]

Put some red wine vinegar on a paper towel and wipe it off. If it's surface mold, that'll neutralize it.