USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health

agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring

that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products

is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

· Fryer or young rabbit — the terms “fryer” or “young rabbit” refer

to a rabbit weighing not less than 1 1/2 pounds and rarely more

than 3 1/2 pounds, and less than 12 weeks of age. The flesh is

tender, fine grained, and a bright pearly pink color. These rabbits

may be cooked in much the same way as young poultry.

· Roaster or mature rabbit — the terms “roaster” or “mature rabbit”

refer to a mature rabbit of any weight, but usually over 4 pounds

and over 8 months of age. The flesh is firm and coarse grained,

and the muscle fiber is slightly darker in color and less tender. The

fat may be more creamy in color than that of a fryer or young

rabbit. The meat of larger rabbits may be tougher so the best

methods of cooking are braising or stewing.

· Giblets — the liver and heart.

Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspects

swine, cattle, sheep, and goats. Under the Poultry Products Inspection Act

(PPIA), the FSIS inspects “domesticated poultry” which is defined as

chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, ratites, and squab.

Congress has not mandated inspection of rabbits under either the FMIA or

the PPIA; therefore, inspection of rabbit is voluntary. Voluntary inspection

of animals, including buffalo, antelope, reindeer, elk, deer, migratory water

fowl, game birds, and rabbit, is handled under the Agricultural Marketing

Act. Under voluntary inspection, each rabbit and its internal organs are

inspected for signs of disease. The “Inspected for Wholesomeness by

USDA” mark of inspection ensures the rabbit is wholesome and free from

disease. When a rabbit processor does not produce rabbit meat under

FSIS voluntary inspection, they would be subject to the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) inspection under the Federal Food, Drug, and

Cosmetic Act.

Some States, however, permit the sale of rabbit only if it is inspected

under their laws.

The FDA has jurisdiction over the shipment of rabbit meat in interstate

commerce.

Rabbit from Farm to Table

Fresh or frozen, rabbit meat is sold all year round. It can be used in most of the ways in which chicken is used.Like other lean meat, poultry, and fish, rabbit meat is a good source of high quality protein. The meat is fine

grained and mild flavored. Rabbits sold in the United States for food are commonly crosses between New Zealand

and Belgian varieties, imported Chinese rabbits, or Scottish hares.

How Are Rabbit

Products Commonly

Labeled?

How Is Rabbit

Inspected?

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA Photo
Rabbit from Farm to Table

Food Safety Information 2

Yes, rabbit may be graded under the voluntary rabbit grading program

performed by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. It provides a

national grading service based on official U.S. classes, standards, and

grades for poultry.

Rabbit may be graded only if it has been inspected and passed by the

FSIS, or inspected and passed by any other inspection system which is

acceptable to the USDA, such as State inspection.

Consumer grades for rabbits are U.S. Grade A, U.S. Grade B, and U.S.

Grade C.

Antibiotics may be given to prevent or treat diseases in rabbits. A

“withdrawal” period is required from the time antibiotics are administered

until it is legal to slaughter the animal. This allows time for residues to

exit the animal’s system. FSIS randomly samples rabbits at slaughter and

tests for antibiotic residues.

No hormones are used in rabbit raising.

Take rabbit home immediately from the grocer and refrigerate at 40 °F or

below. Use it within 2 days or freeze at 0 °F. If kept frozen continuously,

it will be safe indefinitely; however, quality will diminish over time. It is

safe to freeze rabbit in its original packaging. For prolonged storage,

overwrap as you would any food for long-term storage. For best quality,

use frozen whole rabbit within a year; pieces within 9 months.

There are three ways to safely defrost rabbit: in the refrigerator, in cold

water, or in the microwave oven. Never defrost at room temperature.

· Refrigerator: It’s best to plan for slow, safe thawing in the

refrigerator. Bone-in parts or whole rabbits may take a day or

longer to thaw. Once thawed, rabbit may be stored in the

refrigerator for 2 days before cooking. During this time, if you

decide not to use the rabbit, you can safely refreeze it without

cooking it.

· Cold Water: To defrost rabbit in cold water, do not remove the

packaging. Be sure the package is airtight or put it into a leakproof bag. Submerge the rabbit in cold water, changing the water

every 30 minutes so that it continues to thaw. Small packages

may defrost in an hour or less; larger packages may take 2 to 3

hours. Plan to cook the rabbit immediately after thawing by the

cold water method.

· Microwave oven: When defrosting rabbit in the microwave oven,

plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some of the

areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook.

Is Rabbit Graded?

Are Hormones and

Antibiotics Used in Rabbit

Raising?

Safe Storage Times

Safe Thawing
Food Safety Questions?

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response

system can provide food safety

information 24/7

www.fsis.usda.gov

Food Safety for Persons with AIDS

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

If you have a question

about meat, poultry or

egg products, call the

USDA Meat and

Poultry Hotline

toll free at

1-888-MPHotline

or 1-888-674-6854,

TTY: 1-800-256-7072.

The hotline is open yearround Monday through Friday

 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST

(English or Spanish).

Listen to timely

 recorded food safety

messages at the

 same number

24 hours a day.

Check out the

FSIS Web site at

www.fsis.usda.gov.

Send e-mail questions to

MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

Revised January 2006

Rabbit from Farm to Table

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety

education purposes. However, USDA symbols or logos may not be used

separately to imply endorsement of a commercial product or service.

· When roasting rabbit parts, set the oven temperature no lower

than 325 °F. A 2-pound, cut-up rabbit should take approximately 1

hour to cook.

· A whole, 2- to 2 1/2-pound rabbit should take about 1 to 1 1/2

hours to roast. Stuffing it will add approximately 1/2 hour to the

cooking time.

· Braising rabbit (cooking it in a small amount of liquid in a covered

pan on the range or in the oven) also takes about 1 hour. Rabbit

can be broiled about 15 minutes on each side.

· For safety, USDA recommends cooking rabbit to an internal

temperature of at least 160 °F. The use of a food thermometer is

recommended to make sure that your rabbit is safe to eat.

· It is safe to cook frozen rabbit in the oven or on the range or grill

without defrosting it first, although the cooking time may be about

50% longer.

· Do not cook frozen rabbit in a slow cooker; thaw first. Cut whole

rabbits into smaller pieces so heat can penetrate the meat more

quickly.

· Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking. Use within 3 to

4 days or freeze.

· Use frozen, cooked rabbit within 4 to 6 months for best quality.

· Reheat leftovers to 165 °F.

Safe Cooking

Safe Handling of

Leftovers