MARKET COLD-STORAGE CHICKENS. 93 



In 1897 Gautier a published the account of a chemical and his- 

 tological examination of frozen flesh, chiefly of that sent to France 

 in a frozen condition from South America and the United States. 

 He stated that the flavor of the frozen muscle was never quite as 

 good as the fresh. That the juice when exuded was always more 

 abundant than from the fresh and that it contained globulins, albu- 

 mins, peptones, and organic and inorganic constitutents. Among 

 the most recent chemical studies of such flesh is that made by Rideal, 6 

 who determines the ratio of nitrogen to the total solids in both 

 chilled and fresh meats and, finding them the same, excludes decom- 

 position. Artificial digestion gave identical results with frozen and 

 fresh muscle. He states that there were no signs of incipient decom- 

 position. Neither bacteriological nor histological examinations were 

 reported. However, this statement is made: "The tenderness of 

 meat which has been frozen has been attributed to the slow action 

 of sarcolactic acid, and the loosening of the intermuscular tissue 

 promotes rapid decomposition." 



Martel, c in a recent article on the cold storage of foodstuffs, favors 

 cold rooms rather than a temperature sufficiently low to freeze, 

 believing the latter only necessary when transportation for long 

 distances is to follow. He states that bacteria do not readily pene- 

 trate the muscle, about 10 days being required to carry them within 

 1 cm of the surface, but that there is a marked autodigestion of the 

 cell contents, due to the action of the cell ferments, which proceeds 

 easily at 2° to 3° C, though below zero such action is stopped. As 

 to the quality of the meat after storage he believes it to have an 

 improved flavor if kept at 2° to 3° C. and not allowed to freeze. 

 The cause of this improved flavor is ascribed to the aroma bacteria, 

 which he considers desirable. 



Accompanying the change in taste there are, according to Martel, 

 alterations in the muscle fiber which consist in a change from trans- 

 lucent to opaque and from brilliant to dull, as well as from tough to 

 tender. The reaction of the fresh muscle is neutral, but becomes 

 acid as coagulation proceeds. In cold storage at 2° to 3° C. about 

 8 hours are required for a strong acidity to develop, and an odor, 

 aromatic but not at all putrefactive, makes its appearance at 

 the same time. When muscle is fresh it is very difficult to extract 

 any fluid. After 3 days in storage flesh yields much juice. Micro- 

 scopic examination shows an annihilation of the striations and 

 abundant granulations. 



a Les viandes fraiches et congelees. 

 & Cold Storage, 1907. 



c Conservation et maturation des viandes emploi du froid industriel, L'Hygiene 

 de la viande et du lait, Vol. 1, Nos. 1 and 2. 



