This is so wrong that I hardly know where to start.
Anyway, the USDA loves us not. The USDA loves the rich and shameless who 
control agribusiness.
Heating food above 104°F destroys enzymes which are necessary for 
healthy life.

The USDA pretends to believe in the germ theory of disease, when even 
the inventor of that theory is said to have recanted, albeit on his 
death bed.

I've been eating beef jerky for months, I dry it at 94°F because the 
thermostat can't go any lower.
Others ate it for millennia, no reports of illness.

William



Paleo Phil wrote:
> What do you feel about the USDA's recommendation that meat be first heated
> to 160 degrees F before dehydrating, to avoid illness from Salmonella or E.
> coli?
>
> "Why is Temperature Important When Making Jerky?	
> http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Jerky_and_Food_Safety/index.asp
>
> Illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky raise
> questions about the safety of traditional drying methods for making beef and
> venison jerky.