Introduction:

As global food systems evolve and the population increases, there is increasing interest in alternative protein sources to meet the demands of a growing population. Rabbits are a good alternative animal protein source due to their high biological value protein, health benefits, and environmental sustainability. However, acceptance of rabbit meat is influenced by consumer perceptions. This study aimed to investigate consumers’ perceptions of rabbit meat at Amathole and Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipalities.

Methods and Results:

Data was collected from 312 respondents using a questionnaire.

Most respondents (60.9%) had never consumed rabbit meat before the study. When respondents were asked what they associate rabbit meat with, the most frequent answer was hunting. Furthermore, most respondents (87.7%) who had previously eaten rabbit meat sourced it from hunting. Respondents were asked to state in what form they would like to purchase rabbit meat. About 36.5% of them would not buy rabbit meat in any form. However, rabbit meat was notably rejected when sold as whole carcasses (3.5%). This study found that most respondents (69.2%) would be encouraged to eat rabbit meat if they found it healthier than conventional meats. Other factors the respondents paid attention to when making purchasing decisions included price (61.9%) and packaging (52.9%). The lean nature of rabbit meat did not appeal to most respondents (52.9%). When consumers were asked to rate meat types according to their preference, rabbit meat received the lowest rating (x̄=1.88), while beef had the highest rating (x̄=3.75), followed by chicken (x̄=3.44), pork (x̄=3.41), and mutton (x̄=3.08).

Conclusion

Consumer perceptions influence meat purchasing decisions and strategic methods of promoting rabbit meat must be carefully adopted to encourage the consumption of rabbit meat in the Eastern Cape province.