UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 433 



Contributions from the Bureau of Animal Industry 

 A. D. MELVIN. Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



February 15, 1917 



CHANGES IN FRESH BEEF DURING COLD 

 STORAGE ABOVE FREEZING. 



Bj Raxpji Hoagland, Chaklks N. McBryde, and Wilmer C. Powick, of the 



Biochemic Division. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Hygienic value of cold storage 1 



Commercial practices in the cold storage of 



fresh beef 2 



Previous investigations on cold storage of 



meats 5 



Purpose and plan of present investigation 7 



Autolysis experiments 8 



Cold-storage experiments with fresh beef 29 



E ffects of cold storage upon the nutritive value 



of the beef 95 



Factors affecting the time that fresh beet can 



be stored at temperatures above freezing. . . 97 



General summary 99 



References to literature 100 



HYGIENIC VALUE OF COLD STORAGE. 



Cold storage is the most efficient method of preserving perishable 

 foodstuffs in their natural condition, or in a state approaching that 

 condition, for various periods of time. It is well known, however, 

 that changes do take place in foodstuffs held in cold storage, and that, 

 roughly speaking, the rate of deterioration or decay, although 

 affected by many factors, is more rapid the higher the temperature. 

 Moreover, the wholesomeness of cold-storage products depends not 

 only upon proper conditions of storage, but also upon the condition 

 of the products when placed in storage and upon the methods of 

 handling subsequent to storage. The hygienic aspect of the cold- 

 .storage industry has had an increasing amount of attention during 

 the hist few years. There is an increasing need for exact and com- 

 plete information concerning the changes which take place in food- 

 stuffs held ill fold stor-agc, and in regard to the effect of various 

 factoi's ii|>oii (he (jiiality aiul wJu)U'S()meness of such products. Much 

 good \voi-k lias been done but uioi(! lemains to be accomplished. 



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