Sensory and rheological evaluation of meat from rabbits reared at different floor type and stocking density

Thirty-six weaned rabbits were used to test the effect of floor type (wire net vs straw bed) and stocking density (8 vs 12 vs 16 rabbits/m2) on meat quality, according to a balanced 2x3 experimental design. Rabbits were slaughtered at 11 weeks of age and both parts of M. Longissimus dorsi were dissected and used for sensory evaluation (tenderness, \u201crabbit flavour\u201d, off-flavours), cooking losses, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) and Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) parameters. Sensory evaluation was performed by eighteen trained panelists according to a ranking test of intensity level of each descriptor. Each sample was evaluated by 3 panelists (108 observations). The panelists were asked to judge positively or negatively the \u201crabbit flavour\u201d and to define each off-flavour perceived on a descriptors scale. Experimental factors didn\u2019t affect the analysed variables. WBSF was significantly correlated (P<0.01) with TPA-hardness (R= 0.66), moderately correlated (P<0.05) with tenderness (R= -0.37) and \u201crabbit flavour\u201d (R= -0.34). Tenderness was correlated with TPA-hardness and TPA-gumminess with R= -0.38 and P