Effect of Tissue Composition and Microstructure on Rabbit Meat Optical Properties.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Biophysics
• Food Science

Background:

• Optical detection systems offer a non-invasive method for assessing meat quality.
• Understanding the relationship between optical properties and meat microstructure is crucial for system design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between optical coefficients, composition, and microstructure in rabbit meat.
• To provide insights for designing an effective optical detection system for rabbit meat quality assessment.

Main Methods:

• Collected optical coefficients, composition, and microstructure data from rabbit external oblique muscle (EOM) and internal oblique muscle (IOM) samples.
• Analyzed nine rabbits of varying ages, weights, and varieties.
• Utilized linear fitting to establish relationships between myoglobin proportion, absorption coefficient (μa), muscle fiber cross-sectional area, and reduced scattering coefficient (μs').

Main Results:

• Rabbit age significantly influenced μa and myoglobin proportion in both EOM and IOM; older rabbits exhibited higher values.
• Rabbit weight significantly affected muscle fiber cross-sectional area.
• Both age and weight significantly impacted μs'; higher myoglobin correlated with greater μa, and smaller muscle fiber area correlated with greater μs'.

Conclusions:

• Rabbit age and weight are key factors influencing optical properties and microstructure of meat.
• The study establishes clear correlations between myoglobin content, muscle fiber size, and optical coefficients.
• Findings support the application of spectral technology for intuitive and effective rabbit meat quality detection.