Disclosed is a process of reducing the number of viable microorganisms present on the surface of meat, comprising the steps of: a) providing an untreated meat item having a surface membrane and muscle tissue, said untreated meat item having viable microorganisms on the surface membrane, and an atmosphere surrounding the meat item； b) cooling the meat item by reducing the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the meat item at a rate of between 0.5 °C/s and 5 °C/s, until the surface membrane reaches a first temperature as measured by a probe inserted within or just below the membrane of between -5 °C and 2 °C； c) allowing the surface membrane to warm to a second temperature higher than the first temperature to give a treated meat item； wherein the number of viable microorganisms present on the surface membrane is reduced, whilst the ß-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADH) activity of the muscle tissue is not increased by more than a factor of 2 in the treated meat item compared with the untreated meat item.
