Effect of calcium chloride injection and freezing prior to wet aging on the meat quality of cull cows

Abstract BACKGROUND In Brazil, the slaughter of female cattle, particularly older animals, has increased substantially. However, meat from this category presents limitations in terms of quality, mainly because of its toughness resulting from a high concentration of cross‐links between collagen fibers. The aging process is an effective strategy to improve the quality of meat in this category because it stimulates the activity of cathepsins, which are enzymes responsible for collagen degradation. Calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) injection, in addition to activating calpains, can destabilize lysosomal membranes, releasing cathepsins and enhancing the effects of aging. Additionally, freezing inhibits calpastatins, which are natural inhibitors of calpains, resulting in increased activity of these proteolytic enzymes. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of CaCl 2 injection, in combination with freezing prior to wet aging, on the meat quality of cull cows. RESULTS Meat samples injected with CaCl 2 showed higher b * values. In the samples that were not previously frozen, higher L * values were recorded after 14 days of aging. At 3 days of aging, total collagen content was higher in previously frozen samples, whereas, at 14 days, no effect of freezing was observed. CONCLUSION Under the conditions of this study, CaCl 2 injection, whether combined with freezing or not, minimally affected the quality of aged cull cow meat. Furthermore, prior freezing can be avoided because it negatively impacts meat color. However, when freezing is already part of the industrial process, 14 days of aging has the potential to counteract its adverse effects. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.