Rabbit Meat Consumption Research Articles

Evaluation of three forages as a source of fiber in diets of fattening rabbits in Aguascalientes, Mexico

Objective: To evaluate three forages as a source of fiber in the diets of fattening rabbits. Design/Methodology/Approach: Whole grain diets with forage oat, mesquite pod, and alfalfa were used. Thirty-six weaned male rabbits were randomly distributed into three treatments (T1, forage oat diet; T2, mesquite pod diet; T3, alfalfa diet). Feed consumption, daily weight gain, total weight gain, and feed conversion were recorded. The animals were slaughtered to evaluate carcass yield. The data were statistically evaluated by analysis of variance and Tukey’s test. Results: T1 recorded greater fattening than both T2 and T3 (P<0.05) and the last treatment surpassed T2 in daily weight gain, total weight gain, and feed digestibility. Regarding feed conversion, T1 and T3 had lower results than T2. In carcass yield, T1 was higher than T2 and T3 —which, on its turn, surpassed T2. Finally, no differences were observed in feed consumption between treatments (P> 0.05). There were also no significant differences in growth. Study Limitations/Implications: Mexicans have a low consumption of rabbit meat. The mesquite pod could be a viable alternative due to its low cost and availability in semi-arid areas. Findings/Conclusions: Forage oat recorded the best productive parameters, followed by alfalfa and mesquite pod; however, the latter had a greater economic advantage.

Short communication: rabbit meat consumption trends in selected Maltese rural areas

Short communication: rabbit meat consumption trends in selected Maltese rural areas

Factors influencing consumer willingness to pay for rabbit meat in the Daveyton and Etwatwa areas of Gauteng province, South Africa

The purpose of the study was to determine the price point at which customers in the study locations are willing to pay for rabbit meat. The data was gathered by administering a semi-structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews with a randomly selected sample of 382 respondents. The acquired data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), specifically version 28.0. The researchers utilized the contingent valuation approach to ascertain the consumers' willingness to pay (WTP). The results showed that 83% of the respondents were prepared to pay for rabbit meat if their local meat outlet introduced it. About 43.7% of the respondents rejected the initial bid of R45/kg but accepted the discounted bids; 21% of the respondents accepted both the initial and discounted bids; 16.5% of the respondents only accepted the initial bid; and 18.6% of the respondents rejected both the initial and discounted bids. Furthermore, the results revealed that as monthly income increases, so does the respondents’ willingness to pay for rabbit meat. Although respondents showed interest in the purchasing and consumption of rabbit meat, they were not willing to buy the meat at a price of more than R40/kg. This indicates that when the seller introduces the meat to the local meat market in the study areas, they should be price-conscious.

Preference and acceptance of fresh rabbit, pork and chicken meat sausages among young consumers

The rabbit sector has proposed sausages as a suitable presentation format to increase rabbit meat consumption among young people in a context in which it is declining in several traditionally-consuming countries. In order to confirm its suitability in this context, this work compares the acceptability and preference of commercial fresh rabbit sausages with those of chicken and pork meat, using an untrained panel of 70 young Spanish consumers (22.1 yr old on average; 57.1% male and 42.9% female). In the first part of the trial, cooked sausages were evaluated for: a) acceptability of organoleptic characteristics (odour, colour, appearance, texture, flavour, elasticity and juiciness) and the overall rating using a 9-point hedonic scale, and b) order of preference of sausages (first to third). Overall acceptance and sensory attributes were rated in the medium-high range (6.1-7.9 points) and differed among the cooked sausages, except for odour and appearance. Rabbit sausage was rated at the same level as chicken and pork sausages in terms of odour, appearance, texture, flavour and overall assessment, outperformed pork sausage in colour, elasticity and juiciness acceptance, and was only rated lower than chicken sausage in terms of juiciness. Cooked chicken sausage was preferred in first place, followed by rabbit sausage, while pork sausage came last. In the second part of the trial, raw sausages were evaluated visually for: a) acceptability of colour and visual appearance, and b) order of preference of the sausages. No difference was found between the raw sausages in terms of colour, while the appearance of the raw pork sausage was rated better than that of the rabbit and chicken sausages, with no difference between the latter two. The visual appearance of the raw pork sausage was ranked first, followed by the chicken sausage, while the raw rabbit sausage came last. Only 40% of the young panellists could identify the meat ingredient of the rabbit sausage in both cooked and raw sausages. No interaction was found between the type of sausage and the gender of the panellists in evaluation of either the cooked or raw sausages. Young women rated the texture, flavour, elasticity, juiciness and overall assessment of the cooked sausages lower than men, regardless of meat type, whereas no gender difference was found for the visual assessment of the raw sausages. In conclusion, cooked rabbit sausage was accepted as well as chicken sausage overall and better than pork sausage, while raw rabbit sausage was accepted as well as chicken sausage overall and worse than pork sausage in the visual assessment, showing its potential to promote rabbit meat consumption among young people.

Comparison of Acceptance and Preference between Rabbit Burgers and other Lean Meat Burgers by Young Consumers

Burgers are proposed as ideal to increase rabbit meat consumption among young people, in a context in which it is declining in several countries. This study compared the acceptance and preference of commercial rabbit burgers with those of pork, chicken and turkey by means of an untrained panel of 45 Spanish young consumers (23.5 years; 55.6% men). A first trial evaluated on cooked burgers: a) acceptance of organoleptic characteristics and overall assessment, using a 9-point hedonic scale, and b) order of preference of burgers (1st to 4th position). Overall acceptance and sensory attributes evaluation, except for texture (6.9 points in rabbit burger), differed between cooked burgers. The odour was better valued in the cooked rabbit (6.8 points) and turkey burgers, and the worst in the pork burger, with the chicken one being intermediate. The colour, appearance, juiciness, and overall acceptance of the cooked rabbit (6.5, 6.8, 6.9, and 7.1 points, respectively), pork and turkey burgers were valued better than that of chicken burger. The flavour of the cooked rabbit (7.2 points) and turkey burgers was better accepted than those of pork and chicken burgers. The elasticity of the cooked rabbit (6.6 points) and pork burgers was valued better than that of chicken, with that of turkey burger being intermediate. Cooked turkey burger was preferred in first position, followed by the rabbit (second position; 2.27 average order) and pork burgers, while the chicken burger was ranked last. A second trial evaluated on raw burgers: a) acceptance of colour and visual appearance, and b) order of preference of burgers. Colour of the raw turkey burger was valued better and the worst was the chicken burger, with raw rabbit and pork burgers being intermediate. Visual evaluation of appearance scored best for raw turkey, rabbit, and pork burgers and worst for chicken one. Visual appearance of the raw turkey burger was ranked in first position, followed by the rabbit and pork burgers, while the raw chicken burger was ranked last. In both trials, consumer gender did not influence in any case, and there was no interaction with cooked hamburger type. In conclusion, rabbit burger is rated at the same level as pork and turkey burgers and better than chicken burgers, showing potential to promote rabbit meat consumption among young people.

Effect of oat bran fiber on physicochemical properties and acceptance of enriched rabbit meat burgers

Burger is a practical source of animal protein for consumers, sold both raw (ready-to-cook) and cooked (ready-to-eat), and can be an alternative to stimulate the consumption of rabbit meat, which is a source of healthy animal protein. This study evaluated the effects of different levels of oat bran addition on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptance of rabbit meat burgers. Burgers were formulated with 0, 5, 10, and 15% oat bran plus garlic and salt, then manually processed and analyzed for composition, technological parameters (pH, cooking loss, shrinkage percentage, water holding, texture, and color), and sensorial acceptance. The higher the levels of inclusion of oat bran, the lower the burger moisture (p < 0.0001). Burgers with 15% oat bran presented higher content of lipids and carbohydrates, thus higher caloric value (p < 0.0001). The loss of water during cooking was greater in the burger without the inclusion of oat bran (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found for color and aroma attributes. Overall acceptability was higher for burgers with 5% oat bran. Rabbit meat burgers containing oat bran may represent a viable alternative to improving their sensory and technological profiles and overall consumer acceptance.

Cryopreservation of local black rabbit spermatozoa in the Mekong delta region of Vietnam: Evaluating cryoprotectant effectiveness.

Rabbit production is well developed in the Mekong Delta and Vietnam, with increased consumption of rabbit meat in both urban and rural areas. Consequently, meat rabbit breeds have become popular in almost all provinces in Vietnam, resulting in a decline in the population of Local Black rabbits over the years. To support breeding programs, there is a crucial need to develop a cryopreservation method. The objective of this study was to develop sperm cryopreservation protocols and determine the optimal cryoprotectant for Local Black rabbit spermatozoa. Rabbit spermatozoa were obtained and diluted with TCG-EggYolk freezing medium containing 5%, 8%, and 10% glycerol or DMSO in a 1:1 ratio. Glycerol and DMSO-free mediums served as the controls. Samples were put into 0.5-mL straws, cooled to 15°C and 5°C, then placed on nitrogen vapour for 15 min and directly immersed in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. Samples were thawed at 37°C for 60 s after being frozen for 72 h Sperm quality measures, such as viability, motility, and membrane integrity, were assessed both before and after freezing. The results showed that the average viability, average motility, and average membrane integrity were 61.9%, 53.9%, and 42.9%, respectively, after thawing with 5% glycerol, which was higher than the two higher concentrations of glycerol (8% and 10%) (p < .05). Similarly, with 8% DMSO, the average viability, average motility, and membrane integrity were 59.2%, 51.0%, and 41.8%, respectively, which were higher than the two concentrations of DMSO (5% and 10%) (p < 0.05). Therefore, the cryopreservation of local black rabbit sperm with 5% glycerol or DMSO 8% resulted in high sperm quality, but considering the practical aspect of minimizing the volume of the preservative, a concentration of 5% glycerol may be the best option.

Dry cured low-fat rabbit sausage: A much healthier disruptive food that enhances rabbit meat consumption

The main objective of this research was to develop a fuet from rabbit meat with reduced fat and salt content to encourage rabbit consumption and to find out consumer preference for this innovative food compared to retail fuet. Two products were designed: F5, containing fat and F4, where fatty tissue was substituted by konjac gum. In both, salt was partially substituted by KCl. These products, in comparison to commercial ones (pork, chicken and turkey), showed a reduction of at least 40% in the total energy value while protein raised on average 57.81% because of the lower fat content of rabbit and konjac gum use. In addition, there was a decrease in the salt content of approximately 19.50%. The above represents a huge competitive advantage for these new products from a nutritional point of view. The rabbit fuets were characterised by a spicy taste, slightly sour smell, and succulence, lower than in commercial fuets. It could be concluded that the rabbit fuet had a higher protein and lower fat and salt content than commercial fuets. However, they were less juicy and less succulent and therefore consumers preferred the commercial ones. The use of konjac gum does not seem to have any effect on this type of cured product.

Rabbit Meat—Production, Consumption and Consumers’ Attitudes and Behavior

Rabbit meat could play an important role in health, the rural economy, and sustainable development. Rabbit meat has excellent nutritional features, such as high protein content, low-fat content, and a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, low cholesterol and sodium levels. In addition, rabbit meat production contributes to maintaining economic activities in rural marginal areas. However, the consumption of rabbit meat is still limited due to several factors such as the higher cost of commercial food that is slowing down rabbits’ breeding. Socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes, and nationality of consumers influence the demand and consumption of rabbit meat. The social and economic changes of the past years are leading to an increased interest in rabbit meat products with convenience characteristics. Consumers are also increasingly paying attention to animal husbandry methods for health concerns and ethical reasons. This paper presents an overview of rabbit meat focusing on production, nutritional composition, consumers’ preferences, and marketing. The review proposes strategies that, coupled with information campaigns could improve consumers’ knowledge of the positive characteristics of rabbit meat, which would contribute to the market development.

Marine Macroalgae in Rabbit Nutrition-A Valuable Feed in Sustainable Farming.

Simple SummaryCommercial rabbit farming has faced critical challenges in the last few years, during which the ban on the prophylactic use of antibiotics in animal feed has added to the weakness of the production system and a decrease in consumption of rabbit meat. Considering the potential role of macroalgae as an alternative to the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition, this review paper aims to evaluate the use of macroalgae in rabbit farming. It specifically focuses on how macroalgae can be used sustainably to improve rabbit health as an economically viable alternative that could help guarantee the future of this high-value sector.The rabbit meat industry has faced critical challenges in the last few years, during which the ban on the prophylactic use of antibiotics in animal feed has added to the weakness of the production system and a decrease in consumption of rabbit meat. This review paper highlights the potential value of macroalgae in the rabbit farming sector as an alternative to the use of antibiotics to improve rabbit health. In line with sustainable agriculture programmes, the use of seaweed in rabbit nutrition may improve gut health according to the One Health approach, whereby consumers and the environment could receive tangible benefits. The inclusion of algae in animal feed has experimentally proven to help to reduce intestinal dysbiosis. However, further studies evaluating the prebiotic effects of algal components on gut health and also identifying the compounds directly responsible for the antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of algae are still needed. Furthermore, the inclusion of marine algae in rabbit food could potentially become a commercial marketing strategy that could attract new consumers who are concerned about environmental sustainability and who are looking for different, high-quality foods.

Consumption of rabbit meat in Brazil: Potential and limitations

Rabbit production is still small in Brazil and organization of its production chain is therefore necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate consumer perceptions of rabbit meat in the country. An online survey was conducted with 2614 participants. The responses were analyzed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. The survey revealed that the greatest acceptance of rabbit meat occurred in the population of adult men with a higher income and educational level who live in capital cities. Regional differences exist in Brazil. Consumption is more consolidated in the south region. The main limiting factor for rabbit meat consumption is the unavailability of the product. The limited availability of rabbit meat results in low consumption. Producers ensuring a regular supply of rabbit meat and verticalization by the industry are essential. These proposed actions were found to be even more important than demystify the image of the rabbit as a pet.

Purchasing Habits, Sustainability Perceptions, and Welfare Concerns of Italian Consumers Regarding Rabbit Meat.

Several factors drive consumer behavior in buying meat, particularly rabbit meat. The consumption of rabbits has decreased in Europe, and the main causes of this trend are an increasing association with the perception of rabbits as pets, consumers’ changes in lifestyle, and eating habits. Additionally, increasing attention is paid to ethical issues regarding animal welfare. Investigating consumers’ knowledge, perceptions, and concerns about rabbit meat production and consumption are crucial for improving market strategies. This study investigated consumers’ perspectives of rabbit meat to provide useful information to producers for promoting this sector to consumers. A mixed-methods research design was applied. Qualitative data were collected through four focus group discussions involving 32 consumers and quantitative data through a semi-structured questionnaire administered nationally and completed by 1001 consumers. The limited use of antibiotics in inbreeding and the absence of animal suffering are factors that most influence consumers’ willingness to purchase rabbit meat. Rural/domestic farms were recognized as places where animal welfare measures can be applied and have a positive influence not only on organoleptic quality but also on ethical value and food safety. The cage was perceived as unsuitable for rabbit growth and was oriented to a process of fattening based on industrial feed and antibiotics. Respondents sought information on rabbit farming during purchase, and the label was the most used tool. The rabbit meat production sector should consider these results to meet consumers’ demands and raise awareness among operators on the use of animal welfare-based farming systems, helping to build a more positive image of the rabbit meat industry.

Sensory Acceptability of Rabbit Longganisa in The Municipality of Isabel, Leyte

In the Philippines, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been domesticated due to their cute nature and appearance. But unknown to many Filipinos, rabbit meat as a functional food is popular among foreign countries, especially in European countries, as it is a good source of protein with low fat and low cholesterol content. There is hesitance among Filipinos regarding rabbit meat consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the sensory acceptability of rabbit longganisa. The study used quantitative descriptive research and purposive sampling in choosing the respondents. The study was conducted in the municipality of Isabel, Leyte. A total of 130 respondents from different groups were purposely chosen for the data-gathering process. The research instrument used in this study is a modified sensory evaluation score sheet evaluated on a Five-Point Hedonic Scale. It was concluded in the study that rabbit longganisa is accepted by consumers in the locale of the study. Its sensorial properties, such as appearance, aroma, taste, juiciness, texture, tenderness, and general acceptability, have an overall description of being liked very much. It is recommended that rabbit longganisa may be considered a functional food for meals. It is a healthier food choice due to its main rabbit meat ingredient compared to pork and chicken. Rabbit longganisa could also open new doors for business opportunities in the country.

Effect of the type of packaging on the shelf life of ground rabbit meat

Rabbit meat consumption has increased worldwide due to its health benefits in humans but few studies addressed the stability of this food matrix. The effect of two types of packaging (vacuum, VP; and polystyrene tray overwrap with PVC/polyvinyl plastic film, PT) was evaluated on the microbial stability (psychrotrophic; PSY, lactic acid bacteria; LAB, initial coliforms counts) and physicochemical (pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total volatile basic Nitrogen (TBV-N), color and drip loss) changes of ground rabbit meat during its storage at 4 ± 1 °C. VP packaging delayed PSY growth, lipid oxidation, protein degradation and undesirable color changes compared to PT samples. Shelf life of ground rabbit meat in vacuum condition could be around 10 days of storage, while PT samples presented a shorter shelf life of around 5 days. However, sensory studies must be performed in order to assure the exact shelf life of the final product.

Rabbit meat in the east of Algeria: motivation and obstacles to consumption

&lt;p&gt;In Algeria, rabbit meat consumption is insufficiently anchored in culinary traditions compared to other types of meat that are widely consumed, namely sheep and chicken. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of sociogeographic variables, both intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues, on consumption frequency, purchasing decision, motivations and the main deterrents to rabbit meat consumption. A survey is conducted with 360 consumers across 15 &lt;em&gt;wilayas&lt;/em&gt; (districts) in Eastern Algeria. The results help us draw a conclusion that rabbit meat is consumed in all surveyed &lt;em&gt;wilayas&lt;/em&gt; with a low frequency of consumption for the majority of respondents (79%). On the one hand, the causes of consumption are mainly: good taste (59%) and nutritional value (27%). On the other hand, the limiting factors are different: scarcity of rabbit meat on the market (42%), price (22%), eating habits (17%), lack of information on nutritional value (13%), bad taste (3%) and its resemblance to cat meat (3%). Regarding purchasing criteria, tenderness (58%) and freshness (14%) were chosen by most consumers. Although most consumers recognise the nutritional benefits of rabbit meat, it is poorly ranked in the choice of its consumers, placing it fourth after sheep, beef and poultry. Cross tabulation results show that gender, employment status and geographical areas are three variables that significantly affect the consumer’s perception and behaviour towards rabbit meat. This study is the first to analyse the Algerian consumer profile and sheds light on factors encouraging and hindering rabbit meat consumption.&lt;/p&gt;

Improving the Quality and Shelf-life of Raw Rabbit Meat During Refrigeration Storage Using Olive/mulberry Leaves Extracts Dipping.

The consumption of fresh rabbit meat has become more popular among consumers in recent years, but they are easily perishable. In this study antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of mulberry (Morus nigra) leaves extract (MLE) and olive (Olea europaea) leaves extract (OLE) dip treatments at 2% w/v on the quality attributes and shelf-life of fresh rabbit meat during chilling storage under aerobic conditions were investigated. Rabbit meat samples were refrigerated at 4±1°C to be periodically examined for their sensory quality, physicochemical parameters and bacteriological status. Results indicated that as the time of cold storage progressed, the overall mean scores of physicochemical and microbiological parameters were increased, while sensory scores were decreased (p<0.05) irrespective of treatment. Both natural extracts (MLE/OLE) significantly (p<0.05) delayed oxidative quality changes, protein deterioration and proliferation of bacteria noticed during the chilling study. Olive leaves extract (OLE; 2%) was more significant (p<0.05) positively affect than mulberry leaves extract (MLE; 2%) in maintaining chemical indices, lipid stability, consumer acceptance, microbial load and can prolonged the expiry of treated rabbit meat by 4 days as compared to control one. Hence, the potential of olive leaves extract to preserve rabbit meat during cold storage has been demonstrated.

Response of Fattening Rabbits with Acorns (Quercus pubescens Willd.) Combined in the Diet: First Acquaintances on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Perirenal Fatty Acid Profile.

Simple SummaryConsumption of rabbit meat has increased markedly over the last 50 years. This trend appears to be a driving force behind modern farming practices, in particular of rabbit feeding, more and more oriented to fulfil consumers’ demand of sustainable, welfare and health-friendly and low-impact animal production. In this context, the deployment of alternative feeding sources with particular biological properties in the production of feed for meat-producing animals is worthy of being investigated. This trial explored the effect of the combination of acorns as a whole ingredient in the diet of fattening rabbits with the aim to acquire pioneering information on the production and health parameters, in view of the potential effects of the diet on growth, carcass wear and fatty acid composition of perirenal fat.The request for functional and healthy meat presents a challenge to modern animal nutritionists and rabbit meat consumption appears to increase alongside the aging population. Novel functional feeds for food-producing animals gather the interest of the scientific community and acorns appear frequently accounted among non-competitive-with-human feeding sources, above all in slow food production systems. This investigation aimed to assess the response to acorns combined in the diet of 40 fattening rabbits, in respect of growth performance, carcass characteristics and fatty acids composition in perirenal fat. A same commercial fattening diet combined or not with shredded acorns (control, CON = 0 vs. acorn combined diet, ACD = 200 g/kg feed as fed weight, respectively) was administered for six weeks to two groups of Separator rabbits, consisting of 20 animals each. No differences in feed conversion, carcass weight at slaughter and carcass yields (24 h) were found between groups at the end of the experimental feeding. Perirenal fat profile of rabbits from the ACD group pointed to significant differences in ΣPUFA content (25.1 vs. 31.6, as a percentage of total lipids, respectively, p < 0.001) and in the Σ n − 6/n − 3 ratio (5.95 vs. 2.41). In conclusion, acorns can be used as an energy source in mixed feeds for rabbits, especially in slow production systems.

Risk Assessment of Cd, Cu, and Pb from the consumption of hunted meat: red-legged partridge and wild rabbit.

The objective was to assess that potential health risk from Cd, Cu, and Pb, through the consumption of hunted red-legged partridge and wild rabbit meat, with special focus on the population of hunters and their relatives. Mineral content was analyzed by atomic absorption methods (F-AAS for Cu and GF-AAS for Cd and Pb) after microwave digestion of lyophilized samples. The average concentrations of these elements were 0.008 and 0.01 mg/kg for Cd; 1.41 and 1.63 mg/kg for Cu and 0.98 and 1.28 mg/kg for Pb in wild rabbit and red-legged partridge meat respectively. The dietary, risk assessment was performed by assuming two intake scenarios based on the obtained results of the survey on game meat consumption and the current maximum recommended intakes of Cd, Cu, and Pb, and then, the hazard quotients (THQ and TTHQ) were calculated. The data show that exposure to these metals from eating red-legged partridge and wild rabbit meat from a hunting provenance is relatively low and generally greater in the hunter population. The risk assessment revealed that moderate or low consumption of meat of these species does not offer a significant public health risk. Moreover, hazard quotients values for these metals of red-legged partridge and rabbit meat consumption in hunters and nonhunters are below 1. However, a high Pb content in the meat of these species and a high consumption may pose a greater health risk to hunters.

Consumers’ Attitude to Consumption of Rabbit Meat in Eight Countries Depending on the Production Method and Its Purchase Form

Simple SummaryThe aim of the study was to investigate the consumers’ attitude to their preference of rabbit meat in eight countries depending on the production method and its purchase form. Consumers’ attitude was evaluated in Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Hungary, China, Brazil and Mexico based on the respondents’ opinion regarding origin, production conditions, slaughtering methods and breed. Results revealed that breed was an inessential factor. The origin of rabbits was the most important in Italy, France, Hungary and Brazil (in the latter country the slaughtering method and the level of processing were also highly valued), feeding of animals received the highest scores in Spain, Poland and Mexico (in the latter also the slaughtering method), while the level of processing was the foremost factor in China. The preference of fresh meat was the highest in Spain, France and Mexico, and that of frozen in Brazil and Mexico. The highest preference of a whole carcass was found in France and Mexico. The thigh was mostly favored in France and that of the loin in Mexico. The prepared meat products (roasted, smoked and semi-finished) were the most popular in Mexico. It can be concluded the preference of respondents depended on the country.The study’s aim was to investigate the consumers’ attitude to their preference of rabbit meat in eight countries depending on the production method and its purchase form. In Spain and China almost all factors got low scores. High scores (above 4 out of 5) for origin were found in Italy, France, Poland, Hungary and Brazil. The importance of feeding was highlighted in Italy, Poland, Hungary and Mexico. High values were received for housing conditions in Italy, Poland, Hungary and Mexico. The level of processing was the most important in China and Brazil, while the slaughtering method was considered the most important in Brazil and Mexico. Breed received the lowest score in almost all countries. The preference of fresh meat was the highest (above 50%) in Spain, France and Mexico, and that of frozen in Brazil and Mexico (about 20%). The highest preference for a whole carcass (above 50%) was given by the respondents in France and Mexico. Thigh was mostly preferred in France whereas consumers preferred loin in Mexico. Roasted, smoked and semi-finished forms were mostly favored in Mexico. It can be concluded that the preference of respondents depended on the country. Preferences were different among the Mediterranean countries, and also Latin American countries.

Characteristics of Physical, Chemicals and Organoleptic of Local Rabbit Meat Nuggets (Lepus nigricollis) Using Filler of Tofu Dregs Flour

Diversification of rabbit meat products into nuggets is one way to increase consumption of rabbit meat by the public. The filler used generally is wheat flour. However, these filler can be substituted by tofu dregs which have better nutritional content. So it is expected that using filler of tofu dregs flour can improve the quality of rabbit nuggets. The study was conducted to investigate the doses of the use of tofu dregs filler to physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties of local rabbit meat nuggets in laboratory of Animal Husbandry Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Majalengka University. The best formulation of flour filler was applied to make rabbit nuggets. The experiment was arranged as a completely randomized design (CRD), consisted of 4 tofu dregs doses (0%, 35%, 70% and 100% of tofu gregs) which was repeated 5 times. Namwhile for chemical properties was done by descriptive analysis. The observed respond are include physical properties (pH and cooking loss of the nuggets), chemical properties (water content, ash content, protein content, and fat content), and organoleptic properties (colour, aroma, texture, and taste). The results showed that the addition of tofu dregs in rabbit nuggets has a significant effect on cooking losses, colour, and texture but does not affect the pH, aroma, and taste of rabbit meat nuggets. The use of tofu dregs in rabbit nugget has a significant effect on the physical quality of cooking losses but does not affect the pH value. The increasing of doses of tofu dregs tended to decrease the water and ash content and increase the fat and protein content. Moreover, the addition of tofu dregs affects the colour and texture but does not affect the aroma and taste of rabbit nuggets. The best dosage of tofu dregs filler for rabbit meat nugget was 70% and 30% of wheat flour. This finding concludes that tofu waste can be applied to making rabbit nuggets as much as 70% replacing wheat flour.