Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the effect of the length of the frozen storage period on the physical, chemical, and textural properties of M. longissimus thoracis from five wild yezo sika deer. The muscles were stored at 4°C for 14 days and stored at −20°C for 0, 14, 100, and 200 days. Analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in cooking loss, shear force value, and textural properties of the muscles between the different lengths of frozen storage. However, the drip loss of the muscles stored for 200 days was significantly higher than that of muscles stored for 14 days. It was suggested that the frozen storage for 200 days decreased the water-holding capacity of venison from yezo sika deer.
