Lesions in thighs from hunted Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus) and microflora under vacuum-packaging storage

Abstract

In two surveys, thighs of a total of 137 hunted hares were tested for the presence of intramuscular shots and femur fractures, which were detected in 42.7% and 29.2% of 274 thighs, respectively. Femur fractures were significantly associated with the presence of intramuscular shots. In the second survey (46 hares), 92 thighs were grouped into three categories, "A" (no fractures, no intramuscular shot), "B" (one intramuscular shot), and "C" (multiple shots and hematoma), with 49.0%, 33.6%, and 17.4%, respectively. Category "C" was found unfit for human consumption. During 7-day storage of vacuumpacked "A" and "B" thighs, total aerobic counts increased from initially 3.3±0.3 (mean±SD) and 4.1±0.6 log cfu/g by ca. 2 log units when stored at 3-4°C, whereas the increase was clearly <1 log unit at 0°C. In comparison to temperature, differences between "A" and "B" category were less pronounced. Similar dynamics were observed for Enterobacteriaceae. In all categories, muscle pH values (mean=5.83) were similar. It is concluded that storage at temperatures of ca. 4°C, although in compliance with EU legislation, does not afford keeping microbial contaminants in check, and thus will not preserve microbiological quality of vacuum-packed hare meat.

Endoparasites in European hares (Lepus europaeus) under gamekeeping conditions in the Czech Republic

“…In autumn, certain specimens are permitted to be shot. Hares in Central Europe are traditional game animals, which usually occur in Europe in abundant numbers (Strauss et al, 2008;Fettinger et al, 2010). Unfortunately their counts in the Czech Republic have been dropping in recent times.…”

Effects of Sex and Hunting Season on Carcass and Meat Quality Characteristics of the Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)

“…Therefore, the demand for alternative meats, and particularly meat from wild animals, is increasing. The brown hare (Lepus europaeus) is common throughout almost all of Europe [10][11][12] and has been introduced to different countries in other continents [12,13]. The European or the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) has been recognized as an important game species throughout its historical distribution, including in those areas where it has been introduced [11,14].…”