I was looking to buy some cure for jerky and saw that it wasn't effective against bacteria on the meat....after 2 minutes of research on this site....
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Jerky_and_Food_Safety/index.asp

It turns out that you should heat your jerky to 160ºF in the ovenprior to the dehydration process.
I didn't know that so I just thought I'd share.