Which method can drop meat pH to below 6?

Which method can drop meat pH to below 6?

• A. Boil at 100°C for 2 hours
• B. Hang meat at 4°C for 24 hours
• C. Freeze at -20°C for 24 hours
• D. Salt cure for 1 week

Answer: (B)

Postmortem glycolysis turns glycogen into lactic acid, driving the pH of meat down from about neutral toward the acidic range. Temperature and time control how far this acidification proceeds. Cooling the meat to 4°C slows but does not instantly stop glycolysis, so over 24 hours lactic acid can accumulate enough to push the pH below 6. Cooking at 100°C, though it changes texture and denatures proteins, does not rely on continuing glycolysis to drop pH; freezing at -20°C halts metabolic processes, preventing further pH change; and a salt cure mainly preserves and dehydrates rather than drive significant acidification on its own. Therefore, hanging the meat at 4°C for 24 hours allows the natural postmortem acidification to reach below pH 6.

Postmortem glycolysis turns glycogen into lactic acid, driving the pH of meat down from about neutral toward the acidic range. Temperature and time control how far this acidification proceeds. Cooling the meat to 4°C slows but does not instantly stop glycolysis, so over 24 hours lactic acid can accumulate enough to push the pH below 6. Cooking at 100°C, though it changes texture and denatures proteins, does not rely on continuing glycolysis to drop pH; freezing at -20°C halts metabolic processes, preventing further pH change; and a salt cure mainly preserves and dehydrates rather than drive significant acidification on its own. Therefore, hanging the meat at 4°C for 24 hours allows the natural postmortem acidification to reach below pH 6.