Physical & organoleptic characteristics of novel rabbit meat products

Temitope Elizabeth Omogbemi

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of dry and wet ageing on rabbit meat (longissimus thoracic et lumborum muscle) physiochemical quality and sensory characteristics. Slaughtered rabbit carcass (n = 30), from the hyplus rabbit breed, were randomly allocated into control, non-aged meat evaluated 24 hours post-mortem (D1, n = 10), dry aged for seven days (n = 10), wet aged for seven days (n = 10). Ageing was carried out in a temperature and humidity-controlled chamber at 2 °C, 85 % relative humidity, and 10 % of air exchange per hour. The wet ageing technique produced meat with a brighter and lighter colour after D7 than the control D1 samples and dry aged samples. Regarding the shear force, aged samples presented values lower than the unaged samples, but difference in shear force values were not observed between the wet and dry aged samples. Furthermore, difference was seen in the malondialdehyde concentration between treatments, with dry aged samples showing a greater extent of lipid oxidation when compared to the wet and control samples, thus probably resulting in products with increased abnormal odour intensity, as noted by the sensory panel. Tenderness was scored higher in dry aged meat, while flavour intensity and rabbit flavour intensity were scored lower, compared with wet aged meat, although significant differences were not observed in the overall acceptance for both techniques. The adopted ageing techniques from the study did not present major advantages for product palatability; however, results from the wet aged samples after day 7 post-mortem tend to possess attributes which makes it more acceptable for consumption.

Keywords

Hyplus Rabbit, Meat Quality, Wet Ageing, Dry Ageing, Volatile compounds

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 21. 4. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Tersia Needham, Ph.D.
• Reader: Zdeněk Volek, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / specializace:
Wildlife and Livestock Production, Management and Conservation / Sustainable Animal Production