Effects of Freezing Method, Length of Frozen Storage and Cookery from the Thawed or Frozen State on Palatability Characteristics of Pork

Abstract

IT is conceivable that present and future improvements in frozen meat processing and distribution will eventually lead to greater merchandising of frozen meats. The recent resurgence of interest in research on the freezing of beef and lamb products is evidenced by the reports of Law et al. (1967), Smith et al. (1968), Smith, Carpenter and King (1969) and Tuma et al. (1969). However, in recent years only limited attention has been given to the effects of freezing on the palatability characteristics of pork. Child and Paul (1937), Noble and Hardy (1941), Shrewsbury et al. (1942) and Lee et al. (1954) observed that freezing had no significant effect on the tenderness of pork. However, Hiner, Madsen and Hankins (1945) found consistent improvements in beef tenderness after freezing and attributed this effect to the rupturing of muscle fibers and the stretching and rupturing of connective tissue by intrafibrillar ice formation. Deterioration in the flavor of pork muscle has been shown to occur prior to the fourth month of frozen storage by Griswold and Blakeslee (1939) and Harrison et al. (1956).