The aim of this study was to determine the effects of blast chilling of pig carcasses on the physiochemical and sensory
properties of the longissimus lumborum muscle. To this end, right half-carcasses were blast-chilled for 70 min
at −24 °C and then for 22 h and 50 min at 1 °C, while left half-carcasses were chilled conventionally at 1 °C for
24 h. At 2 h and 6 h post mortem, blast chilling had significantly reduced the temperature of the carcasses, as well
as the rate of pH decrease and the rate of increase in EC. It had no significant effect on the ultimate pH or its range,
or on EC at 24 h post mortem, but it significantly lowered L*, b*, C* and drip loss compared to the conventionally
chilled carcasses. Blast chilling adversely affected sensory characteristics such as tenderness and flavor. There
were no significant differences between the effects of blast and conventional chilling systems on meat quality
between conformation classes.