3.1. pH
Both frozen storage duration (FSD) and display duration (DD) had a
significant effect on pH (Table 1). Fresh meat showed the highest pH
values, especially when meat was not displayed. Añón and Calvelo
(1980) and Muela et al. (2010) reported no significant pH differences
between fresh and thawed meat in lamb. However, Kim et al. (2011)
and Leygonie et al. (2012b) showed a higher pH in fresh than in thawed
meat (lamb and ostrich, respectively) in agreement with the current
results. Freezing with subsequent exudate release could produce
denaturation of buffer proteins and the loss of fluid fromthe meat tissue
which may cause an increase in the concentration of the solutes, both
resulting in a decrease in the pH of thawed meat (Leygonie et al.,
2012a). Also, a FSD longer than 9 months, in general, implied lower
pH independently of DD although there were no or little differences
among frozen/thawed meats. In this sense, FSD did not have a clear
effect on pH at 0 d DD since there was not observed a linear tendency
with FSD in frozen/thawed meats, in agreement with Farouk,
Wieliczko, and Merts (2003) in a study with frozen beef stored up
to 12 months. These authors stated that because of the variation and
lack of any significant trend in the data, coupled with the numerical
similarity of the pH values at the different storage times, recrystallization
of ice and its consequent effect seem to be a more plausible reason
for the nature of the data obtained in the study, in agreement with the