In the HBVFC treatment whole vacuum-packed LL muscles were chilled very quickly in a freezing tunnel with forced circulated air (−20 °C, 2 m/s) that was completed, on average, 3 h and 30 min pm when the muscle surface temperature reached −1 to −2 °C as suggested by Joseph (1996). The temperature was measured near the surface (~1–2 mm) and at the geometric center of the cut with T-type thermocouples inserted through silicon septa and recorded in a data logger (model 1253, Grant Instruments Ltd., Cambridge, England). After chilling, the cuts were divided into four pieces and vacuum-packed again. One piece was taken for pH, R value and WHC samples.