Beneficiamento tecnológico de coelhos

Abstract

Considering the low level of information about rabbit meat among Brazilian consumers, this study aimed to review the literature on the processing of this species, addressing the slaughter process, meat quality and aspects of commercial interest in rabbit farming. Rabbit farming, a branch of Animal Science that deals with raising rabbits, has great potential in Brazil, but still faces challenges to growth, such as the lack of public policies and structuring of the sector. Rabbit meat is nutritious, rich in proteins, and low in cholesterol and fat, but consumption in Brazil is limited, in contrast to countries such as China, France and Spain, where consumption is very high. Slaughter must follow the precepts of animal welfare as in other butchery species; however, Brazilian legislation for the slaughter of this species is still lacking, and there is no specific regulation for slaughter at the federal level, with municipalities and states being free to legislate on the subject. The techniques used in slaughter are similar to those used for other species, including stunning, bleeding, skinning, evisceration, inspection, cooling and/or freezing of carcasses. The use of by-products includes the skin, which is widely used in fashion, the feet used as amulets and the manure, which is used as fertilizer; the blood and brain are also used in biomedical research. It is concluded that, despite the nutritional quality of the meat and the various uses of the by-products, consumer ignorance and the disorganization of the sector are preventing the growth of the rabbit meat market in Brazil. In order for the sector to develop, greater publicity is needed regarding the benefits and policies that encourage production and consumption.