Weight Loss and Quality Characteristics of Frozen Versus Chilled Beef Livers and Hearts

Abstract
For beef livers or hearts that will be displayed at retail following a 15–16 day transport‐distribution‐storage period, the best method for assuring acceptable appearance is to vacuum package these variety meats immediately following their removal from the animal. If protection from weight loss, off‐odor incidence and excessive microbial growth during storage is the goal of the protection system and if product will not be displayed at termination of storage, freezing of hearts or livers at 0 hr postmortem is slightly more effective than vacuum packaging for hearts and decidedly more effective than vacuum packaging or polyvinyl chloride film wrapping for livers.