Development and sensory evaluation of rabbit meat marinade formulations with additive reduction: physicochemical and textural properties

Resumen

Objective: The study evaluated the effect of different levels of liquid marination and phosphate on several physicochemical and textural parameters, product preference, and sensory characteristics of rabbit meat during storage.

Methodology: Six rabbit meat formulations stored at 4°C for periods of 1, 8, and 15 days were analyzed. Physicochemical parameters evaluated included pH, acidity and texture. In addition, a sensory evaluation was performed to examine characteristics of the roasted rabbit meat, such as color, texture, among other attributes.

Results: The physicochemical parameters included pH (6.0 – 6.6), acidity (0.35 – 0.65%), and texture (hardness, 1.85 – 3.23 N). Sensory evaluation was conducted to assess characteristics of roasted rabbit meat, such as white appearance and raw texture, among other attributes.

The results revealed significant differences (p<0.05) among formulations in physicochemical properties, particularly in texture and acidity. Sensory characteristics were generally similar, except for white appearance (p<0.01) and raw texture (p<0.05).

Limitations: The study was limited to assessing only three periods of storage (1, 8 and 15 days), which may not reflect the long-term effects of marinated rabbit meat. On the other side, although this study contributes with descriptors to the lexicon for the characterization of rabbit meat, additional studies with trained panels for developing a more comprehensive lexicon are recommended.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing marinated rabbit meat with reduced additive content, effectively lowering production costs while maintaining quality and sensory attributes.