Forty New Zealand White rabbits weaned at 30 d were divided into 2 groups and reared under intensive or extensive production system until slaughter (91 d of age). In the extensive production system, rabbits were housed in free-standing cages on straw litter and fed farm-made feed ad libitum. Control rabbits were raised intensively in wire mesh slatted floor cages, indoors and on a commercial pellet ad libitum. Hot carcass weight was 16,6% lower (P<0.01) in extensive production. The difference of 1 point both in hot and cold dressing percentage in favour of the intensively reared rabbits was not significant (P>0.05). The higher carcass weight of the control rabbits led to heavier primal cuts, including head (P<0.05) and the fore part, intermediate part and hind part of the carcass (P<0.01). However, expressed as % of carcass weight, significantly higher ratio were only found for the head (P<0.01) and edible offal (P<0.05) in intensively produced rabbits. The production systems investigated had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the chemical composition, physicochemical properties and organoleptic characteristics of meat from New Zealand White rabbits.
The aim of this study was to determine changes in the quality of lamb meat (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum), which was vacuum-packaged and freezer-stored (-26°C) for 6 and 12 months. The experiment was performed on 12 male lambs of the Kamieniec Longwool breed, raised to 106 days of age. In comparison with fresh meat, thawed meat was characterized by lower ash content, higher pH, greater natural drip loss and cooking loss, and lower scores for taste intensity. Vacuum packaging and low-temperature storage protected lamb meat against oxidative changes, and alleviated the adverse effects of oxidation on the color, aroma and taste of meat. It can be concluded that freezer storage (-26°C) of vacuum-packaged meat can help meet consumer demand for lamb meat products in periods when fresh meat is unavailable. However, it should be noted that long-term frozen storage induces undesirable changes in meat quality, including a decrease in water-holding capacity and taste intensity.
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