2. Materials and methods
Beef loin samples (Longissimus lumborum, LL) were used purchased from a local meat processor (Konya,
Turkey). First of all, the samples, weighing 200-250 g, were prepared in size of 5x10cm and frozen at -350C for 24
h in UCF 20SF (Ugur Deep Freezer, Turkey) deep freezer by using fast-freezing method. After freezing operation,
the experimental samples were stored at -180C for 6 months in the same freezer. The experimental samples were
analyzed in terms of pH, water activity (aw) and humidity quality.
The meat samples taken to frozen storage were thawed every month with different methods from the 1stmonth
until the 6th month of the storage. Thawing environment temperatures of the samples were as follows: the samples in
the 1stgroup were thawed at room temperature (20±20C), the samples in the 2ndgroup were thawed in the same