The instant invention is a method for freezing chicken cartilage containing undenatured Type II collagen so that more than eighty percent the Type II collagen of the frozen chicken cartilage remains in the undenatured state. The method is to expose chicken cartilage to a gas such as carbon dioxide gas at a temperature between minus 0.65° C. and minus 1° C. to freeze the chicken cartilage so that more than eighty percent the Type II collagen of the frozen chicken cartilage remains in the undenatured state. In another embodiment, the instant invention is method for freezing chicken cartilage containing undenatured Type II collagen by freezing the chicken cartilage in a thermally insulated container such as a container formed of foamed polystyrene.
