Medycyna Wet. 65 (10), 665-669, 2009
| Szkucik K., Pyz-Łukasik R. |
| Health quality of rabbit meat |
| Rabbit meat is currently quite popular world-wide, which is influenced by its taste and nutritional values. The meat has a high content of protein, vitamin B, mineral and trace element components, and a low fat and cholesterol content. The evaluation of consumers is positive toward its basic sensory characteristics, such as color, odor, taste and texture. Rabbit meat is described as delicate, not too stringy, very tender and juicy. The hygienic quality of the slaughtered rabbit carcass depends on the sanitary condition of the slaughterhouse. Pathological bacteria have been sporadically isolated, among them coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, Salmonella and E. coli. The general contamination of the surface of the carcasses obtained through maintaining sanitary standards is 103 -104 micro-organisms in 1g. A somewhat higher contamination of 105 -106 in 1g occurs in slaughterhouses that do not meet sanitary standards. |
| Key words: rabbits, meat, nutritional value, sensory traits, bacterial contamination |