JAKARTA. A CNN poll in 2011 concluded that meaty and spicy beef rendang was the world’s most delicious food. Will the popular Indonesian dish top the list again if restaurants begin using frozen instead of fresh beef?

With beef prices remaining high over the past weeks, the Indonesian government is considering increasing the volume of frozen beef imports in an effort to tackle limited supply and cut the lengthy distribution chain of fresh beef in the domestic market.

Frozen meat can keep for up to 12 months if put in cold storage or a freezer. In Indonesia, frozen beef is mostly sold in supermarkets while traditional markets sell fresh beef.

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While most Indonesians prefer to use fresh beef, frozen beef has been become widely used in many countries with reliable facilities that can support the distribution of the perishable product.

“Residents are used to fresh beef. However, the logistics and supply chain for fresh beef needs a lot of work,” Trade Minister Thomas Lembong told reporters recently, as he shared his plan to introduce frozen beef nationwide.

Frozen beef, Thomas said, not only could be stored for far longer, but was also more hygienic as the temperature at which it was stored killed bacteria.

Frozen beef could well serve as a solution to the beef supply shortage and as a price stabilizer, Thomas said. However, he assured that the products offered to the retail market would be different to those sold to factories.

He acknowledged that changing people’s habits would take time and money; not only would the government need to persuade residents to change their habits, it would also need to invest in developing cold storage facilities. The government and businesses will also need to develop and procure cold storage infrastructure and facilities at each link of the supply chain.

“This is just my personal idea. I still need to take it to internal and coordination meetings for approval,” Thomas said.