The average time to reach 10 C in M. longissimus dorsi was 7 h 45 min (4 h 25 min to 10 h 24 min). Five of seven slaughterhouses differed from each other ( p < 0 :05). When the temperature was 7 C, the pH was on average 5.89 and varied between 5.52 and 6.17. The slaughterhouses formed three distinct groups, based on the pH at 7 C ( p < 0 :05; Table 1). In some slaughterhouses the pH was close to the pHu, but in others only about a half of the pH fall had taken place.