Rabbit meat is a highly digestible, tasty, low-calorie food, often recommended by nutritionists over other meats, yet it is still considered a niche product, especially because of its time consuming preparation which requires culinary skills and because of cultural differences among European consumers. For this reason, the processing industry in Europe is gradually improving the availability of rabbit meat in a large variety of processed ready-meals which make it easier to prepare thus meeting the demands of modern consumers. This shift towards further processed products in Europe will soon underscore the necessity for higher standards in rabbit meat in order to improve sensory characteristics and functional properties. Rabbit production and processing involve a series of interrelated steps and the quality of rabbit muscle as food depends upon chemical, physical, and structural changes that occur in the conversion of muscle to meat. During the production and management of rabbits, (preslaughter) factors not only exert important effects on muscle growth, composition, and development, but also determine the state of the animal at slaughter. Moreover, large rabbit industry integration is becoming more important and the development of rabbit meat production is forcing processing plants to improve slaughter capacities by using high-speed and more automated slaughter lines. From the point of view of food safety, these changes can lead to higher microbial risks due to the possible cross-contamination during preslaughter (crating, transportation, and holding conditions) and processing (skinning and evisceration) operations. Furthermore, European rabbit production has been influenced by the introduction of more restrictive regulations and higher consumer attention to food safety aspects. All this has come about as a consequence of the many meat safety crises of previous years which have convinced the European Union to enact several regulations aimed at guaranteeing meat safety and systems to prevent or at least manage similar future crises. From January 1st 2005 (Regulation 178/2002/EC), it will be compulsory for all feed and food operators to adopt a traceability system. The major objective is to enforce the provision of clear and reliable information to consumers at sales points, based on a system of being able to track meat back to the source animal, the slaughterhouse and the cutting unit of origin. This paper is divided in two sections, the first provides an overview of the steps of rabbit processing and its influence on product quality, while the second focuses on the application of traceability to rabbit production.
Rabbit meat processing and traceability
CAVANI, CLAUDIO;PETRACCI, MASSIMILIANO
2004
Abstract
Rabbit meat is a highly digestible, tasty, low-calorie food, often recommended by nutritionists over other meats, yet it is still considered a niche product, especially because of its time consuming preparation which requires culinary skills and because of cultural differences among European consumers. For this reason, the processing industry in Europe is gradually improving the availability of rabbit meat in a large variety of processed ready-meals which make it easier to prepare thus meeting the demands of modern consumers. This shift towards further processed products in Europe will soon underscore the necessity for higher standards in rabbit meat in order to improve sensory characteristics and functional properties. Rabbit production and processing involve a series of interrelated steps and the quality of rabbit muscle as food depends upon chemical, physical, and structural changes that occur in the conversion of muscle to meat. During the production and management of rabbits, (preslaughter) factors not only exert important effects on muscle growth, composition, and development, but also determine the state of the animal at slaughter. Moreover, large rabbit industry integration is becoming more important and the development of rabbit meat production is forcing processing plants to improve slaughter capacities by using high-speed and more automated slaughter lines. From the point of view of food safety, these changes can lead to higher microbial risks due to the possible cross-contamination during preslaughter (crating, transportation, and holding conditions) and processing (skinning and evisceration) operations. Furthermore, European rabbit production has been influenced by the introduction of more restrictive regulations and higher consumer attention to food safety aspects. All this has come about as a consequence of the many meat safety crises of previous years which have convinced the European Union to enact several regulations aimed at guaranteeing meat safety and systems to prevent or at least manage similar future crises. From January 1st 2005 (Regulation 178/2002/EC), it will be compulsory for all feed and food operators to adopt a traceability system. The major objective is to enforce the provision of clear and reliable information to consumers at sales points, based on a system of being able to track meat back to the source animal, the slaughterhouse and the cutting unit of origin. This paper is divided in two sections, the first provides an overview of the steps of rabbit processing and its influence on product quality, while the second focuses on the application of traceability to rabbit production.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
