The initial weight and after storage weight of each loin section were weighed to obtain the purge loss values. After the assigned storage periods, the loin sections were taken out from the vacuum packages, blotted dry on paper tissues and reweighed to calculate purge loss as the difference between initial weight and final weight.Drip loss was obtained after each ageing/freezing storage following the procedure of with a few modifications. A sample (about 50 g) of meat with any visible fat and connective tissue trimmed out was weighed and then placed in a net and hung by a hook within a closed container. After suspending the samples in the container for 48 h at 4 °C, the sample was blotted dry and reweighed to calculate the percentage drip loss.