Chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of meat from local rabbit population reared under organic system

The aim of this trial was to study the effect of two housing systems (Organic, Conventional) on meat quality of local rabbit population. 84 local rabbits were housed in open air in colony cages under organic system; 72 rabbits of the same population and 72 hybrids were housed in colony cages under conventional system. The animals were fed ad libitum an organic diet and alfalfa hay. We slaughtered 90 animals at the weight of 2400 g at different ages (local rabbits: 102 days; hybrids: 90 days). For each group, 6 samples of L. lumborum were analyzed for chemical composition, fatty acid profile and lipid oxidation. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. The housing system did not modify meat chemical composition even if local population, reared under organic or conventional system, showed a lower fat content and a higher protein content than commercial hybrids (2.3, 2.3 and 2.8; 21.8, 21.9 and 21.0, respectively). C14 and C18:1 percentages were significantly lower in meat of hybrids than in meat of local population reared with conventional and organic system (C14: 3.21 vs 3.73 and 3.48; C18:1: 0.95 vs 1.10 and 1.01; P