Abstract
<p>This study aimed to characterise the quality of meat from commercially-raised rabbits. Animals came from five different producers and were laughtered in three different plants under provincial or federal inspection jurisdiction. Animal behaviour evaluated by scan sampling prior to feed withdrawal (FW) and transport, as well as blood lactate concentration at exsanguination, did not raise concerns with respect to stress. Stomach pH was higher (<em>P</em>=0.047) when the FW time was short (≤13.5 h), at a mean value of 2.23. All pH values measured 1 h post-mortem from the Biceps femoris (BF) and almost all (97.6%) from the Longissimus lumborum (LL) were higher than 6. Values for ultimate pH measured 24 h postmortem(pH<sub>u</sub>) ranged from 5.80 to 6.83 and from 5.70 to 6.70 for BF and LL muscles, respectively. The maximum meat drip loss recorded was 2.6%, while cooking loss reached 30%. Meat lightness (L*) and colour intensity (C*) for the long FW times (≥23 h) were no different from those with short and intermediate (15.5 to 17.3 h) FW times. However, these colour parameters were higher for the short FW time class compared to the intermediate FW time class (<em>P</em><0.02). A hierarchical cluster analysis based on pH<sub>u</sub>, cooking loss and lightness (L*) from 200 rabbit loins was performed. Of the four clusters created, clusters 1 and 2 had the best and second-best meat quality, respectively. Clusters 3 and 4 had the lowest meat quality and presented DFD-like (dark, firm and dry) characteristics. Meat did not exhibit PSE-like (pale, soft, exudative) characteristics, even for the slaughter lot with the minimum mean pH<sub>u</sub>. Of the eight slaughter lots evaluated, more than 50% of the meat from three of them fell into clusters 3 and 4; all three were in the intermediate FW time class. Overall, the quality of rabbit meat analysed was acceptable for commercial use, but rather variable. This suggests that there are factors within the value chain that are not yet fully controlled and require further investigation.</p>
Publisher
Universitat Politecnica de Valencia
Subject
Animal Science and Zoology
Reference83 articles.
1. AAFC. 2019. Rabbit supply Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. http://www5.agr.gc.ca/resources/prod/Internet-Internet/MISB-DGSIM/SDAD-DDAS/RML-VRB/PDF/17Table38a_eng.pdf. Accessed January 2020.
2. Adzitey F., Nurul H. 2011. Pale soft exudative (PSE) and dark firm dry (DFD) meats: causes and measures to reduce these incidences-a mini review. Int. Food Res. J., 18: 11-20. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijps.2017.81.87
3. Allen C.D., Russell S.M., Fletcher D.L. 1997. The relationship of broiler breast meat colour and pH to shelf-life and odor development. Poult. Sci., 76: 1042-1046. https://doi.org/10.1093/ps/76.7.1042
4. Bianchi M., Petracci M., Venturi L., Cremonini M.A., Cavani C. 2008. Influence of pre-slaughter fasting on live weight loss, carcass yield and meat quality in rabbits. In Proc.: 9th World Rabbit Congress, 10-13 June, 2008. Verona, Italy. 1. 1313-1318.
5. Blasco A., Ouhayoun J. 1996. Harmonization of criteria and terminology in rabbit meat research. Revised proposal. World Rabbit Sci., 4: 93-99. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.1996.278
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献