Effects of freezing temperature and duration of frozen storage on lipid and protein
oxidation in chicken meat
This study examined the effects of freezing temperature and duration of frozen storage on lipid and protein
oxidation in chicken leg and breast meat. The meat was frozen at three different temperatures (7,
12 and 18 C) and then stored at 18 C for up to 6 months. A significant effect of frozen storage duration
on lipid oxidation was detected in leg and breast meat, whereas freezing temperature had no significant
effect. In leg meat, freezing at 7 C had a significant impact on protein oxidation, measured as the
increase in carbonyl groups and the decrease in total sulphydryl groups, after 3 months of frozen storage.
Lipid and protein oxidation appeared to occur simultaneously in chicken meat during frozen storage and
was more intense in leg meat than in breast meat.