Bacterial Contamination and Selected Traits of Rabbit Muscle Tissue Spoilage

The investigated material comprised rabbit carcasses obtained from a domestics slaughter (H) and two commercial slaughterhouses (L and M). The spoilage process and its dynamics were determined on the basis of bacteriological studies (total aerobic bacteria count, psychrophilic bacteria count, and presence of proteolitic bacteria), pH measurements, ammonia level as well as basic organoleptic characteristics (appearance and odour). All the determinations were performed after 24 h, 72 h, and 144 h of the storage at 2C ±1C and relative humidity ca 80%. The studies indicated the effect of hygienic status of a slaughter place on the bacterial contamination level and muscle tissue durability. Higher initial bacterial contamination of the muscle tissue from the slaughterhouse L contributed to the earlier occurrence of the undesirable organoleptic deviations and higher pH and NH3 values, that evidenced a more rapid progressive spoilage process. After the 144 h storage, the unfavourable sensory properties disqualified comestible usefulness of the carcasses and markedly limited the further cold storage life of the carcasses from the on domestics slaughter and the slaughterhouse M.