Texture is one of the primary quality attributes of fruit. Many studies described the texture modifications after freezing, but few combined such different approaches as mechanical, histological, cytological and chemical measurements, and among microscopic methods even fewer quantify the structural modifications visualized. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of freezing on the texture of apple fruit at the histological, microscopic cellular and biochemical levels and to relate them to the mechanical properties in order to better understand the mechanisms involved in apple tissue degradation during freezing. Studies were carried out on fresh apple (Granny Smith) and thawed apple after three different freezing protocols. The firmness of fresh and processed apple cylinders was investigated by penetrometry. Histological changes in apple tissues after thawing were evaluated by macroscopy. Images of crosssection of apple tissues were acquired using a CCD monochrome camera. Cell integrity was assessed through the preservation of vacuole compartment using confocal laserscanning microscope. Ice morphology in frozen samples was observed on a cold stage scanning electron microscope. Information on cell structure and ice crystals were extracted from images using texture image analysis. Morphological grey level granulometries using erosion, dilation and closing were applied. The global composition of the cell wall was studied using biochemical techniques. Loss of firmness following freezing varied according to the freezing protocol applied. Slow freezing rate caused severe changes in product macrostructure: fewer small cells, more large intercellular spaces and an important cell collapse. The presence of a tissue breakage was observed after immersion in liquid nitrogen. Whatever the freezing rate applied, the tonoplasts were ruptured. Modification of the neutral sugar and pectin composition of the cell wall were observed. Theses changes were ascribed to the apparition of ice crystals which size decreases with increasing freezing rates. (Conflicts of interest: None declared. Source of funding: None declared.)