What happens to chicken between farm and freezer?

Once a chicken leaves the farm, a lot can happen before it reaches a freezer.

After slaughter, the meat immediately enters a phase of natural breakdown. Enzymes start acting on muscle proteins, and bacteria begin multiplying — slowly at first, faster if temperature control slips even slightly.

To manage this, industrial systems rely on:

• Rapid chilling

• Cold storage

• Transport across long distances

• Freezing to pause further changes

Freezing slows bacterial activity, but it doesn’t reverse what has already happened. Any biochemical changes that occurred before freezing stay locked in.

For most people, this system works just fine.

But for some, especially those sensitive to freshness, the time spent between farm and freezer can affect:

• Aroma while cooking

• Texture

• How the meat feels after eating

This is why food that’s processed and cooked closer to the source often feels different — not because it’s “better”, but because less time passed for change to occur.