The objective of this study was to determine the effects of freezing prior to aging on the meat tenderness of young
Nellore and Aberdeen Angus bulls. Samples of the longissimus thoracis muscle were submitted to two treatments:
conventional aging and freezing (−20 °C for 40 days) followed by thawing and aging periods. The meats were
evaluated after 0, 7, 14 and 21 aging days (1 °C). Freezing increased (P b 0.05) purge, cooking loss and total
exudate loss throughout aging. Nellore meats had greater total exudate loss and shorter sarcomere lengths
(P b 0.05). Freezing increased proteolysis during aging in the meats of both breeds, but reduced shear force
was found (P b 0.05) only in Aberdeen Angus meats and only at time zero. These results suggest that the meat
tenderizing process by freezing prior to aging may contribute to meat tenderness in the first weeks of aging,
but it is dependent on the animal breed.