1. Introduction
When meat is cooled below 0 °C, ice forms at the initial freezing
point temperature of the meat. Water-based biological products such
as meat generally have an initial freezing point temperature below
the 0 °C freezing point of pure water (0 °C) depending on the type
and concentration of solutes within thewater/liquid phase of the product
(IIR, 1972). According to Pham (1996), the initial freezing temperature
of meat can be estimated using the equation: ѲF=−4.66x0/xw−
46.4xa/xw (where ѲF=initial freezing temperature, x=mass fraction,
a=ash, o=other components, and w=water) underscoring the importance
of the composition of the water (or liquid) phase of meat in
determining its freezing point.