Rabbit Meat Consumption: A Mini Review on the Health Benefits, Potential Hazards and Mitigation

With increased consumer knowledge about the relationship between diet and a healthy lifestyle in recent decades, there has been an increase in awareness and demand for efficient protein sources. Rabbit meat is rich in easily digestible protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), vitamins, and minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc), as well as being low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol, which makes it of good edible and nutritional value, so it needs to be handled properly. Rabbit meat, on the other hand, has been associated with the spread of microbial contamination (such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Salmonella species) that may originate from the animal itself, equipment, workers, or the surrounding environment. Each effort must be made to keep rabbit meat free of contaminants that could be harmful to humans. Few studies had been conducted, either internationally or in Egypt, to examine the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of rabbit meat. We shall compile existing data on the quality of rabbit meat in this review. Furthermore, the potential hazards that influence the physicochemical and microbiological qualities and shelf life, as well as the proposals for decontamination trials to enhance the sensory attributes and shelf life of rabbit meat, will be presented.