TECHNOLOGICAL QUALITY OF RABBIT MEAT (BELGIAN GIANT BREED) AND HARE MEAT (LEPUS EUROPAEUS PALLAS)

Gabriela Tărnăuceanu (Frunză), Cecilia Pop, P.C. Boişteanu

Abstract
    The purpose of this study was to determine the technological quality of meat by making a comparison between hares (Lepus Europaeus Pallas) and rabbits (Belgian Giant breed). The meat quality concept is continuously changing and the consumer is interested in the healthiness of meat, sensory properties, cooking easiness and swiftness and its price. Technological quality of meat can be evaluated through determining the pH of the meat and cooking water loss. Measurements were performed on the muscles Longissimus dorsi, Psoas major and Semimembranosus at 24 hours after slaughter. To measure the acidity of rabbits and hares meat was use digital pH meter Hanna, who performs automatic reading of pH and temperature at which this is done. The highest average values for boiling water losses were found for rabbits at Semimembranosus muscles, with a percentage of 36.45% for females and 35.95% for males. For hares, they were generally more low compared to those determined for rabbits. After statistical evaluation (applying the test of analysis of variance ANOVA) on the results achieved for rabbits and the hares, were observed insignificant differences by gender for all muscle groups examined.

Key words: rabbit, hare, meat, technological quality