Consumer perception of supplementing rabbit diets with seaweed to reduce antibiotic use in rabbit production in Spain

Abstract

Rabbit meat consumption has gradually decreased in Spain and rabbit production systems face some challenges related to high mortalities caused by gastrointestinal diseases, which are difficult to control owing to limitations on antibiotic use. The inclusion of seaweeds in the rabbit diet as prebiotics can potentially reduce the need to use antibiotics, as already observed in other types of livestock. The aim of this survey was to study the rabbit meat and seaweed consumption habits of the population of a municipality in Galicia (NW Spain) and the willingness of the population to choose seaweed-fed rabbit meat over other rabbit meat, to determine whether this new product would be accepted by consumers. Rabbit meat consumption, despite being minoritarian, is more frequent in the surveyed population compared to other regions in Spain, and great importance is attached to home-produced rabbit meat. Most respondents have a positive image of rabbit meat and highlighted its nutritional value. The acceptability of seaweed-fed rabbit meat was high, as two thirds of the respondents stated that they would choose this product over other types of rabbit meat. Most respondents agreed about the environmental benefits of this feeding strategy, highlighting the reduction in antibiotic use and the higher quality of the product as benefits. Nevertheless, this strategy should be properly communicated, to guarantee its success in attracting environmentally concerned consumers.