The pros and cons of freezing meat

Dr Kedibone Modika and Tebogo Pitse, agricultural economists at the Agricultural Research Council, look at how the flavour, colour and tenderness of beef change during the freezing and thawing process

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Meat is composed of about 60% to 70% of naturally occurring water. This makes meat and its products more prone to microbial spoilage and chemical reactions that can negatively affect quality characteristics such as colour, texture and flavour. Freezing meat is therefore a great way to preserve its nutritional value and keep it from spoiling by mainly reducing the rate of microbial spoilage and deterioration. Depending on the cut, type of meat and packaging, uncooked meats may be preserved in the freezer and remain at a high quality for anywhere from one to 12 months.

THE ADVANTAGES OF FREEZING MEAT Food safety 

Freezing has been proven to decrease potentially harmful bacteria, which can be the source of food poisoning. As long as meat is stored in an appropriate manner and proper directions are followed for thawing and cooking, frozen meat is very safe.

The few outbreaks of foodborne illnesses associated with frozen meat and other foods indicate that some, but not all, human pathogens are killed by the freezing process.

Improved meat texture

It may be appealing to meat lovers to purchase a steak from the shop and cook it immediately. However, research has shown that freezing the steak and cooking it later actually improves the tenderness of certain cuts. Freezing has been shown to cause muscle fibres to swell and rupture, resulting in improved tenderness. To prove this, the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) meat science team assessed loin steaks for tenderness using the Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear force test, which measures the force needed to shear the meat.