Carcass characteristics and meat quality of rabbit lines selected for different objectives: II. Relationships between meat characteristics

Rabbits from three lines (A, V and R) and three different weights (1800, 2050, 2300 g) were used in the experiment. Nine animals of each line and weight were used. Lines A and V were selected for litter size at weaning, whereas line R was selected for growth rate between the 4th and 9th week of life. Muscular pH of Longissimus (pHLD) at the level of the 5th lumbar vertebra and pH of Biceps femoris (pHBF) were taken 24 h post-mortem, Colour (L * lightness, C * chroma, H * hue) was measured on the carcass surface of the Longissimus muscle at the level of the 4th lumbar vertebra and at the 7th lumbar vertebra cut. Fat and moisture were estimated on fore lee muscles (including insertion and thoracic muscles), hind leg, abdominal wall and Longissimus muscle. Water holding capacity, cooking loss (CL) and texture (shear force) were estimated on Longissimus muscle. A principal component analysis was performed in order to examine the relationships between the traits measured. The four ist PC explained a 63% of the total variation (29%, 16%, 10% and 8%, respectively). The principal component analysis showed that meat quality traits were grouped in independent sets. Fat-moisture, texture, pH and luminosity of Longissimus explained a large part of the observed variation. The differences between lines or liveweight groups in meat quality tend to be small, which implies a certain constancy in rabbit meat quality. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.