A comparison of the carcass traits and meat quality of conventionally and organically produced rabbits

Abstract In order to compare the meat of conventionally and organically produced rabbits for possible future sale, two groups of 50 rabbits from the same genetic type were reared under conventional or Spanish organic conditions and were slaughtered at 63 or 90 days respectively. Differences were found in most of the characteristics studied. In some of the traits the differences were related to age, as in the case of the liveweight (2209 vs. 2488 g), the weight of the different parts of the carcass, texture variables of meat, meat redness ( a ⁎ 5.51 vs. 7.49), carcass redness ( a ⁎ 2.92 vs. 3.70), or pH (5.82 vs. 5.76) in conventionally and organically reared rabbits, respectively. However, in other cases the variations were not age related. Organic rabbits had a higher carcass length to circumference ratio (2.22 vs. 1.97). Their carcasses were leaner (13.9 vs. 27.3 g fat/kg carcass) and had a lower meat to bone ratio (5.18 vs. 5.84) than in conventional rabbits. The organic meat had less protein (210 vs. 213 g/kg meat) and fewer lipids (19 vs. 39 g/kg meat). It had less saturated FA (41.3 vs. 42.6 g/100 g total FA) and less monounsaturated FA (29.4 vs. 35.6) but more polyunsaturated FA (28.9 vs. 21.9), n-6 FA (25.3 vs. 19.4) and n-3 FA (2.7 vs. 2.4). The ratio of polyunsaturated:saturated FA was higher (0.7 vs. 0.5) in the organic meat and, as such, was better from the nutritional perspective, but the n-6: n-3 ratio was higher (9.3 vs. 8.1) and poorer. The proteins in the organic meat were richer in methionine (12.78 vs. 4.33 mg/100 g meat) and cystine (4.47 vs. 1.71) although these results require further study. The organic rabbit meat had a reduced aniseed (0.23 vs. 0. 79) and grass flavour (0.44 vs. 0.56), but higher liver flavour (1.49 vs. 1.02) than conventional rabbit meat.