Carcasses (n=40) with defined fat free lean and carcass weight were selected 45 minutes postmortem. Carcasses were split, and sides subjected to conventional or blast chilling regimens. Sides that were blast chilled had Longissimus dorsi (LD) chops with slower pH decline, greater cook loss and greater Warner-Bratzler Shear force than chops from conventionally chilled sides. These results demonstrate that current blast chilling practices have the potential to negatively impact pork tenderness.