Comparative Nutritional Analysis of Rabbit Meat from Intensive and Extensive Rearing Systems

The nutritional quality of meat is determined by a variety of factors, including the method of rearing employed, which can have a considerable impact on the morphological, chemical, and sensory aspects of the final product. Intensive and extensive rearing methods are two separate approaches to animal husbandry, with each having ramifications for meat quality, animal welfare, and customer choice. So, this study was designed as a comparative analysis of the rabbit meat nutritional value from intensive and extensive rearing systems, focusing on morphological composition, chemical and physical indicators, as well as sensory and emotional responses of consumers. The research was carried out on industrially chilled carcasses of rabbits from intensive rearing, purchased from a supermarket, and extensively reared California rabbits from a local rabbit farm, representing extensive rearing (n = 10 rabbits per rearing system). Key indicators analysed included the morphological composition of the carcasses, physical and chemical properties of the meat, sensory evaluation by consumers, and associated facial emotional expressions. Results indicated that, with the exception of leg and back muscle yields, all morphological indicators were statistically higher in extensively reared rabbits (p < 0.05). However, the analysis of chemical composition, sensory properties, and facial emotional expressions did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the two rearing methods (p > 0.05). Moreover, the physical assessment of fresh loin samples demonstrated a significantly higher intensity of yellowness and redness of the rabbits from the extensively reared system compared to those raised intensively (p < 0.05). In general, recent study concludes that while extensively reared rabbits exhibited superior morphological indicators and distinct colour characteristics compared to those reared intensively, no significant differences were found in chemical composition, sensory properties, or consumer emotional responses between the two systems.