The Fatty Acid Profile of Meat from New Zealand White Rabbits Raised under Intensive and Extensive Production Systems

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The intensification of livestock production in response to the growing demand for food has disrupted the balance between the quantity and quality of animal-based products, contributing to changes in consumer preferences. Modern consumers show an increasing interest in extensive farming and niche products that are regarded as more unique, tastier, and healthier due to the absence of harmful compounds and a higher content of valuable components (vitamins, micronutrients, macronutrients, unsaturated fatty acids). However, consumers often formulate their views and opinions based on widely-held beliefs that are not always supported by research findings. Therefore, science-based evidence is needed to draw reliable conclusions about meat products. The fatty acid composition of meat from rabbits raised under intensive and extensive production systems was compared in this study. It was found that intensively farmed rabbits can produce meat of superior quality. ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare the fatty acid (FA) profile of meat from New Zealand White rabbits raised from 30 to 90 days of age under intensive (IPS) and extensive (EPS) production systems. In group IPS, the rabbits were housed in wire mesh cages with a slatted floor (16.7 animals/m(2)) and were fed a commercial pelleted diet. In group EPS, the rabbits were housed in free-standing cages on straw litter (2.5 animals/m(2)) and were fed a conventional farm-made diet (green fodder, barley grain, stale bread, hay). The FA profile of intramuscular fat (IMF) was analyzed in samples of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle. The analyzed production systems had no significant effect on the content of most FAs in IMF. However, the differences between group means contributed to more desirable values of the quality indicators of IMF (in particular in the LTL muscle) in group IPS. The study demonstrated that the claim that meat produced under less intensive farming systems is of superior quality could be an oversimplified generalization that should be validated in research.