The Shopping Behavior of International Students in Poland during COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purpose of this research is to analyze the shopping behavior of international students (Asian vs. European) studying in Poland. Participants were recruited from universities located in Warsaw between June and September 2020. A total of 806 questionnaires were collected, 87 of which were eliminated due to non-response. The research sample consisted of 719 people. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis for the entire study population and separately for European and Asian students. In exploratory factor analysis, two factors were extracted for the entire population, while three factors each were extracted for the European and Asian student groups. In cluster analysis, we obtained four clusters each for the entire study population and the group of European and Asian students. Our study found that among Asian students, compared to European students, there was a greater change in shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed by a greater preference for online shopping, greater purchases of fruits and vegetables, purchases of local products, and shorter shopping time.

Food Products as Sources of Protein and Amino Acids-The Case of Poland.

The aim of this study was to identify the food sources of protein and 18 amino acids (AAs) in the average Polish diet. The analysis was conducted based on the 2016 Household Budget Survey (HBS) on the consumption of food products from a representative sample of 38,886 households (n = 99,230). This survey was organized, conducted and controlled by the Central Statistical Office, Social Surveys and Living Conditions Statistics Department in cooperation with the Statistic Office in Lódz based on the recording of expenditures, quantitative consumption, and revenues in budget books for one month. 91 food products from 13 food categories (e.g., meat and meat products, grain products) consisting of 42 food groups (e.g., red meat, milk, cheese) were analyzed to determine protein and amino acid intake from these products. Three categories delivered 80.9% of total protein (meat and meat products: 38.9%; grain products: 23.9%; and milk and dairy products: 18.1%). The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine) were delivered mainly by meat and meat products (39.9%; 41.3% and 37.4%, respectively). Meat and meat products were also the most important source for other essential amino acids (EAAs: lysine 49.2%, histidine 46.6%, threonine 44.7%, tryptophan 41.4%, phenylalanine 35.3%, and methionine 44.2%). In terms of the contribution of the non-essential or conditionally essential amino acids to the average Polish diet, most important were grain products (for cysteine: 41.2%; glutamic acid: 33.8%; proline: 34.1%), and meat and meat products (for tyrosine: 38.3%; arginine: 46.1%; alanine: 48.7%; aspartic acid: 41.7%; glycine: 52.5%; serine: 33.6%). Five clusters were identified to assess the impact of socio-demographic and economic factors on the protein supply. The largest impact was observed for respondent education, degree of urbanization, study month, and usage of agricultural land. The shares of animal food in total protein supply amounted to 66.5% in total population and varied from 56.4% to 73.6% in different clusters.

Meat, Meat Products and Seafood as Sources of Energy and Nutrients in the Average Polish Diet.

The aim of this study was to identify the share of meat, meat products and seafood in the contribution of energy and 22 nutrients to the average Polish diet. Data from the nationally representative sample of Polish population (2016 Household Budget Survey) on meat and seafood product consumption from 38,886 households (n = 99,230) were calculated into one person per month. The analyses were conducted for seven food groups (e.g., red meat, poultry) and 16 products (e.g., beef, chicken). Approximately 18.5% of energy is delivered from the sources such as meat, meat products and seafood, providing a higher percentage of 18 nutrients to the diet (e.g., 56.0% of vitamin B12, 52.3% of niacin, 44.9% of cholesterol, 41.5% of protein, 41.4%of vitamin D, 37.6% of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 37.4% of thiamin, 33.8% of zinc, 32.0% of total fats, 30.3% of saturated fatty acids (SFA), 29.6% of vitamin B6, 25.3% of riboflavin, 24.9% of phosphorus, 24.8% of iron, 22.5% of vitamin A, 21.6% of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and 20.3% of sodium). For the contribution of 18 nutrients and energy, processed meat products were ranked first. These results should be taken into consideration in order to compose diets with adequate energy and nutrient contribution and also to analyze benefits and risk resulting from the current level of consumption of red and processed meat, fish and other seafood.