Dark, firm and dry (DFD) meat can be the result of prolonged stress in animals prior to slaughter, either because the animals have been underfed, or they are overly fatigued due to transportation and mishandling, or both.

Although DFD meat occurs more often in beef, it can also be present in pork and poultry meat. Since most of the glycogen in the muscles of these animals has been depleted by the time they are slaughtered, insufficient lactic acid is produced during the conversion of muscle to meat, and the meat will have a pH of 6.0 or greater. This high pH shifts proteins from their isoelectric point, allowing them to be more soluble and to hold on to most of their water, which is an advantage for meat processors.

DFD meat can be used and transformed into high-quality products, especially those made with emulsified meat, such as hot dogs. It is not recommended for whole-muscle and cured products, since the resulting color generally is not acceptable to consumers. DFD meat's ability to bind water also can be a challenge in manufacturing dried products.