This is the oddest food trend in a while. Celebrities endorsing food is nothing new, but there is a recent rash of celebrity-branded jerky.

I first stumbled into this last winter while chatting with Ethan Wayne, son of the late, great John Wayne about how Wayne Enterprises had been licensing his father’s name for a long time, but they had never marketed their own products, so they founded the John Wayne Stock and Supply Company, launching with a line of beef jerky, which reminded them of car trips with dad from their childhood.

It’s no surprise that Jeff Foxworthy sells three types of beef and one ham jerky, and Chubby Checker has been hawking his jerky for a while, but the latest jerky star caught me off guard.

Liz Hurley just released her own “guilt-free” (vegans may disagree) beef jerky.  It’s not often you’re met by nude and bikini-clad pictures of a beef jerky company owner on the website.  Let’s all be thankful the Waynes didn’t try this approach.