DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY
College of Agriculture and Food Science
Visayas State University
Visca, Baybay City, Leyte PHILIPPINES

FTEC 150- INTRODUCTION TO POULTRY/LIVESTOCK PRODUCT, PROCESSING, AND

PRESERVATION
Laboratory Exercise No. 7
Freezing of Meat
 
 
Introduction:
         Meat is a highly but extremely perishable food, and its preservation has always been a
vital importance to mankind. This is due to the cyclic variation in the abundance of its supply
and the necessity to maintain its quality during the periods of shortage and during its distribution
and marketing. In order to maintain some degree of palatability and wholesomeness, it must be
subjected to some type of processing very soon after slaughter.
         Freezing and storage at low temperatures are the means by which the highly prized
qualities of fresh meat can best be maintained. However, a number of factors may affect the
quality of frozen meats which include: a) drip upon thawing (exudates); b) changes in
tenderness and juiciness; c) autoxidation of lipids and d) bone darkening in the case of poultry.
 
Objective(s):
At the end of the experiment, the students are expected to:
1. To develop the skills in the proper freezing of meat.
2. To be able to assess the quality changes of frozen meat.
 
Materials:
 
½ kg pork (shoulder cut)                                         Sealer
1 whole chicken                                                      Pots
4 pcs. polyethylene bags (8 x 14)                          Laddle
Chopping board                                                      Knives
 
Procedure:
 
1) Each plastic bag must be labelled and weighed before use.
2) Cut the pork into cubes (1 in x 1 in) and divide into two parts. Put the meat inside the
polyethylene bags and heat seal.
3) For the whole chicken, proceed with the carving. Place 1 wing and drumstick in a PE bag and
seal. Do the same for the remaining wing and drumstick.
4) Place 1 bag of each sample inside the freezer and chiller for about 48 hrs.
5) Take out the frozen meats from the freezer and place in a container and place over running
water to speed up the thawing process.
6) When the meat turns soft when squeezed, the thawing can be stopped.
7) Wipe dry the bags of meat.
8) Cut open the plastic bags and take out the meats. Be sure to shake off any exudates on the
meat surface.
9) Weigh the plastic bags with the exudates in order to determine the amount of exudates.
10) Evaluate the color and shape of the thawed and chilled meat samples.
11) Boil the different meats in water for about 30 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked.
12) Take out the meat from the pot and cool down.
13) Evaluate the sensory qualities (color, shape, texture, and general acceptability) of the
different cooked meats.
 
Worksheet:
         Fill up the table with necessary data that can be gathered from the laboratory.
 
Evaluation Chilled Frozen

Pork Chicken Pork Chicken

wt. of container        

wt. of exudates        

initial wt. of meat        

final wt. of meat        

Product evaluation after storage:        

Color        

Shape        

Sensory evaluation after cooking:        

Color        

Shape        

Texture        

General Acceptability        
 
General Acceptability Rating:
 
9 -  Like extremely                          4 -  Dislike slightly           
8 -  Like very much                         3 -  Dislike moderately
7 -  Like moderately                    2 -  Dislike very much
6 -  Like slightly                               1 -  Dislike extremely
5 -  Neither like nor dislike
 
 
Questions:
 
1. Which of the samples gave the most exudates? Are there any exudates from the chilled
samples?
2) Which of the cooked samples gave better sensory qualities?
 How to Cut Chicken into 10 Parts

 
Step 1 Remove the Legs
Place the chicken breast side up on a solid cutting board. Pull one leg away from the body and
cut through the skin between the body and both sides of the thigh.
Bend the whole leg firmly away from the body until the ball of the thighbone pops from the hip
socket. Cut between the ball and the socket to separate the leg. Repeat with the other leg.
 
Step 2 Divide the Legs
Place the chicken leg side down on the cutting board. Cut down firmly through the joint between
the drumstick and the thigh. Repeat with other leg.
 
Step 3 Remove the Wings
         With the chicken on its back, remove wing by cutting inside the wing just over the joint.
Pull the wing away from the body and cut down through the skin and the joint. Repeat with other
wing.
 
Step 4 Cut the Carcass in Half
Cut through the cavity of the bird from the tail end and slice through the thin area around the
shoulder joint. Cut parallel to the backbone and slice the bones of the rib cage. Repeat on the
opposite side of the backbone.
 
Step 5 Remove the Breast
Pull apart the breast and the back. Cut down through the shoulder bones to detach the breast
from the back. Cut the back into two pieces by cutting across the backbone where
the ribs end.
 
Step 6 Cut The Breast In Half
To cut the breast in half, use a strong, steady pressure and cut downward along the length of
the breastbone to separate the breast into two pieces.
 
 
* Accessed from http://www.shookpoultry.net/carveAchicken.html on June 1, 2013.