The effect of salt concentration and fibre orientation on water within the meat matrix was investigated by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), water-binding capacity (WBC), diffusion studies and histologyi-cal analysis. Pork M.longissimus thoracis et lumborum samples were cured with 5.7, 15.3 or 26.3% w/w NaCl at a parallel or perpendicular fibre direction. NMR transverse (T2) relaxationidenti fied three water components ( T2b,T21 and T 22) which all exhibited characteristics correlated to WBC. Results indicated that T 2b increases with increasing NaCl concentration. Increasing intra-myofibrillar water and decreasing extra-myofibrillar water resulted in the highest WBC. Water diffused more quickly into the extra-myofibrillar space in samples cured at a parallel fibre direction. This water remained loosely bound in samples cured with the saturated solution (26.3%w/w NaCl) leading to decreased WBC. This study provides further information on water binding within the meat matrix by applying the results of LF-NMR to traditional water-binding theories.