No one knows better than snack vendors just how much the beef jerky business has been booming in the last decade. So popular have these meat snacks become that they are now staples at every supermarket and convenience store and manufacturers are experimenting with specialty meats, like elk, and new flavor combinations, like New Mexico chipotle chili.

Fortunately for snack vendors, the price of beef jerky snacks has not risen in proportion to its popularity. In fact, beef jerky products remain among the most affordable meat snacks on the market. Popular solutions for learning about meat snacks pricing and costs include the following:

1. Pay the lowest prices for meat snacks when you bulk online in large quantities.

2. Add more flavors to your beef jerky vending machine with special blends that are available in prices within your budget.

3. Locate a gourmet beef jerky company that offers an organic product at attractive wholesale rates.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy wholesale beef jerky by the bag or by the case

Some wholesalers offer original and other flavors of beef jerky by the pound, usually around $12. Most allow you to choose between purchasing individual size bags or cases of about 24 packages.

I recommend: Bulk Beef Jerky offers prices ranging from $1.70 to $57, depending on the flavor and type of beef jerky. Buy whole steak nuggets at beef jerky company Werner Jerky for $4, individual 3.5-oz. packages, or $72, for cases of 20 bags. Beef jerky smoky sticks at beef jerky dehydrator Toxic Tommy range in price from $0.99 per stick to $98 per case. Cases of beef jerky at Jerky Direct range from $90 to $102.

Order special flavors of beef jerky online at affordable rates

Shopping for specialty beef jerky does not mean you're going to purchase above your budget. From mildly marinated to true hot crushed red chili, beef jerky now comes available in a wide range of flavors and all at affordable prices. Most flavored jerkys are sold in traditional beef slabs, but more manufacturers are experimenting with nuggets, sticks and 'lightning rods' of high energy jerky.

I recommend: Walgreens offers two individual-sized bags of Teriyaki flavored meat snacks for about $9. Get lightning rods of high energy meat snacks from Choo Choo R Snacks that range in price from $2 to $16, depending upon whether you purchase them by the piece or by the case. The House of Jerky offers a ten-flavor variety pack of meat snacks at $185 or junior packs at $37. Go to Fatman's Beef Jerky to buy lemon pepper beef jerky ranging in price from $4 to $28.

Broaden customer appeal with gourmet beef jerky at prices that fall within your budget

Prices of gourmet beef jerky tend to be relatively higher due to the fact that the meat is organic, high-protein and gluten free.

I recommend: Go to beef jerky producer Climax Jerky to buy smoked elk gourmet beef jerky at prices of $12, for 4 oz. and $39, for 16 oz. Natural gourmet beef sticks at beef jerky maker American Grass Fed Beef cost between $16, for 8 oz., and $24, for combo packages. Prices of gourmet beef jerky at Local Harvest start at $17.50. Buy gourmet beef jerky in bulk at Mother Nature. Prices for eight 4-oz. packages start at $70.

Many consumers enjoy the satisfaction provided by meat snacks, such as beef jerky. In today's market, manufacturers make meat snacks from beef, turkey and even fish. They make it with many different flavors and ranges of heat. Business is sure to increase when you add this product to your store inventory.

Whether you purchase wholesale meat snacks or make them yourself, carry many different types of meat snacks to satisfy a wide range of consumers. You can stock peppered beef jerky, meat sticks, teriyaki beef jerky, smoked jerky and much more.

1. Find meat snack manufacturers and distributors who can provide you with meat snacks to stock your shelves.

2. Consider making your own beef jerky for your beef jerky business with a commercial food dehydrator.

3. Stock low calorie meat snacks for your health conscious customers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Stock your store with beef jerky and other meat snacks

If you prefer to stock your store with wholesale beef jerky and other meat snacks, purchase them from a meat snack manufacturer. You can find many products to stock, from both well-known companies and lesser-known, private label manufacturers.

I recommend: Become a wholesale distributor of Jack Link's beef snacks. They carry a wide range of beef snacks including jerky, sticks and nuggets in a wide range of flavors. Oberto is another popular beef jerky producer who makes meat snacks that you can sell in your own store.

Consider making your own beef jerky

If you would rather make your own beef jerky to sell in your store, you can purchase a commercial beef jerky dehydrator for this purpose. You can also use this beef jerky machine to make products other than meat snacks.

I recommend: Cabela's offers two different sized commercial food dehydrators. Excalibur also sells commercial food dehydrators. Compare the prices between these two companies.

Stock products to cater to your customers who prefer low calorie meat snacks

Remember that some customers are health-conscious and may prefer products such as turkey jerky and other low calorie meat snacks. You can also find meat snacks with no artificial colors or preservatives, in addition to meat snacks made from free range poultry. Add these to your stock of snack foods to satisfy the needs of many consumers.

I recommend: Jerky Snack Brands carries a turkey jerky that's sure to satisfy health conscious consumers. In addition, browse the selection offered by Snackmasters. They offer turkey jerky, ahi tuna jerky and salmon jerky in addition to regular beef jerky.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember to carry individual snack-sized meat snacks to place near the cash register with other impulse items. When consumers try these small snacks, they may purchase a larger package during their next visit to your store.

If national sales are any indication of a product's popularity, then meat snacks rate as one of the all-time great American munchies. The beef jerky business in the United States has expanded within the past two decades to satisfy consumers' taste for smoky, spicy beef that is 100% natural, gluten-free and boasts a long shelf life.

If you're deciding whether to purchase beef jerky for your restaurant, convenience store or vending machines, you won't have any trouble finding a wide variety of cuts in popular flavors. Check out the following sites to learn more about meat snacks types and styles:

1. Opt for traditional slabs of beef jerky that come in a variety of popular flavors.

2. Find a wholesale beef jerky supplier who carries individually wrapped sticks that are perfect for smaller appetites.

3. Access suppliers of beef jerky online so you can experiment with different types of shredded meat snacks.

4. Offer beef jerky nuggets to customers who prefer bite-sized, juicy meat snacks.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose the best-known and tastiest beef jerky slabs

These choice pieces emerge from the beef jerky dehydrator in various sizes and shapes. Jerky connoisseurs consider slabs to be the purest type of beef jerky.

I recommend: Tillamook Country Smoker sells black peppered beef jerky slabs. Texas Slabs offers mild, hot, Texas barbecue and teriyaki-flavored slabs. Jerky adds more variety to the mix with its Cajun and Sweet-Spicy flavored slabs. Sea-com's signature non-uniform slabs come in your choice of 2-pound or 1.5-oz. bags.

Satisfy traditional tastes by purchasing the always popular beef jerky sticks

No survey of meat snacks types and styles would be complete without references to beef jerky sticks, perhaps the most recognizable forms of crowd-pleasing munchies.

I recommend: For years, customers have been hailing the beef jerky sticks made by Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks which come in five tempting flavors. You can get individually wrapped turkey and ham beef jerky sticks at Choo Choo R Snacks. The superior beef jerky known as Smokey Sticks has been pleasing customers since 1975 with a special Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. Beef jerky sticks come in your choice of bags or jars at Beef Jerky Outlet.

Experiment with new meat snacks products, such as shredded beef jerky

Almost every beef jerky company offers a meat snack made of shredded beef, which is known for its chewy quality and spicier flavor.

I recommend: Beef jerky producer A+ Jerky Supply sells a shredded beef jerky product in one traditional flavor. Blair Candy also sells shredded jerky in original flavor and now makes a teriyaki jerky. Even more flavors are available from Wild Bills Foods, which makes shredded jerky in Smoky BBQ and Black Pepper.

Try selling popular nuggets from a well-known beef jerky maker

Nuggets are thicker cuts of bite-sized marinated beef, prepared in the traditional manner of smoking with natural hardwood.

I recommend: Jerky Supermarket sells nuggets in beef steak, tender cut and children's varieties. Jerky Joe's steak nuggets are mesquite-smoked with a deep, spicy flavor. Burkes Candy offers nuggets in old fashioned, black pepper, sweet & zesty and teriyaki flavors.

With the growing popularity of reduced-carbohydrate eating plans like the Atkins Diet, meat snacks sales are experiencing a huge upturn. Dried and preserved meats that require no refrigeration have always been a favorite of hunters, hikers, campers and others outdoors aficionados, but now these snacks have crossed over into the mainstream audience looking for convenient, high-protein, low-prep snacks. Whether your customers are in search of lunch sack or backpack fillers, emergency food supplies or gourmet taste treats, here are the meat snacks key terms you'll need to know to serve up what they're hungry for.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Jerky

Jerky, from the Inca word ch'arki, meaning dried meat, is the most popular meat snack. Jerky is available in strips, shreds, nuggets or slabs. It is most commonly made from dried or cured beef, though turkey is growing in popularity as are other more exotic meats such as venison, ostrich, buffalo and alligator. Jerky is available in a wide range of flavors and seasonings. In addition to widely available commercial jerky brands, there are products from artesanal producers that provide small batches to suit niche tastes.

I recommend: Read about the history of jerky as a meat snack at Jerky.com.

Meat sticks

Second in popularity to jerky as a meat snack are meat sticks, which can be dry sausages like salami or summer sausage, or dried meat processed in tube-like forms. Some manufacturers package meat sticks with complementary cheese snack sticks or with crackers. Slim Jim, from ConAgra Foods, is the most popular brand of meat stick snack, and consumers sometimes use the brand name as a generic term for all meat sticks.

I recommend: Read the history of the Slim Jim at the ConAgra site.

Pork rinds

Though sometimes stocked in the chips aisle, pork rinds are technically a meat snack. These crispy, puffed snacks are made by deep-frying bits of the fatty lining of a pig's skin. Related meat snacks include cracklins, which are crumbled pork rinds, and pork fat back, which is strips of pork fat with skin attached, either preserved as jerky or fried as crunchy strips.

I recommend: See a variety of pork meat snacks at Carolina Country Snacks.

Natural

Most meat snack producers use chemical preservatives such as sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate to help preserve the meat, as well as adding flavor enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), fillers such as hydrolized soy protein and other additives. There are no set standards for natural meat snacks, but products advertised as 'natural' usually contain little or no chemical preservatives, relying on salt or air-drying alone, as well as no MSG or other additives. In addition, some producers market their natural meat snacks as having been made from organically raised, hormone-free meats.

I recommend: Read Golden Valley Natural's description of its natural meat snacks.

FSIS

FSIS, the U.S. Government's Food Safety and Inspection Service, is responsible for the oversight of safe meat snacks production.

I recommend: Read the FSIS guidelines for jerky at the Food Safety and Inspection Service website.

Shelf-stable

The majority of meat snacks are advertised as self-stable, or needing no refrigeration. Shelf stability is provided in a number of ways, including the drying and preserving process, vacuum sealing in packages and the inclusion of oxygen absorber packets in resealable bags. Shelf stability is compromised once the packaging is opened and the contents are exposed to air or heat, and most manufacturers list a sell-by date to assure best quality. Cool storage and freezing can extend the shelf life of meat snacks.

I recommend: Read about one manufacturer's methods to make meat snacks shelf-stable at Joe's Beef Jerky.