For the control treatment (AT) left-carcass sides were hung by the Achilles tendon and conventionally chilled at 0 °C. The temperature of the LD muscle was followed by inserting probes at the 12 th rib approximately at the center of the muscle. The temperature probes and
recording instruments were the same as that used for HBO treatment. The boned LL muscles were divided into four pieces, 24 h pm, three of them were vacuum-packed and conditioned at 0 °C for 2, 7 and 14 d and the fourth piece was used for pH, R value and WHC determination, as described above.