Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1387622
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 JUNE 2021 NEWS PRELIMINARY MARKET CONSULTATION MALTESE SPELLING AND GRAMMAR CHECKER SOLUTION AND RELATED SERVICES The purpose of this Preliminary Market Consultation (PMC) is to identify potential Solutions and the avaiability of Economic Operators who are able to provide a Maltese Spelling and Grammar Checker solution. For more information visit etenders.gov.mt TENDER ID: MHAL/01/2021 Interested parties are to submit their bid via the e-tenders portal by not ater than 30/06/2021 12:00 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Spell Checker 1.pdf 1 27/05/2021 08:14 JAMES DEBONO UNIVERSITY of Malta students enrolled in the first ever study to be conducted in Malta on adher- ence to the Mediterranean diet, have reported consuming nearly two portions of meat a day in con- trast to less than three portions of fish per week. While 40% eat less than one por- tion of fish a week, 42% eat more than one portion of meat a day. On a daily basis, 44% are eating less than one portion of fruit, 36% less than one portion of legumes, and 26% less than a portion of veg- etables. 48% reported using olive oil occasionally. They also reported eating low to moderate intake of fruits, vegeta- bles, legumes and olive oil. The study in the Journal of Health Sciences, designed by Yasmine Mustafa Treki and Pe- tra Jones from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Malta, plotted a score for "adherence" to the Med- iterranean diet. It ranged from 0, the lowest level of adherence, to 18 points, with 8.8 tagged as a 'me- dium' score. Only four out of 50 students scored highly between 13-18, while 10 scored a low 0-6. The Mediterranean diet is char- acterised by daily consumption of seasonal fruits, vegetables, leg- umes, nuts and cereals. It also includes moderate to high con- sumption of fish and dairy prod- ucts. On the other hand, the con- sumption of red meat, poultry and derivatives are limited to weekly meals. It is also characterized by moderate consumption of alco- hol, mainly in the form of red wine during meals and special occa- sions and the daily consumption of extra virgin olive oil used on a daily basis as the main source of dietary fat. The study showed weekly con- sumption of legumes was rela- tively low – only 32% had over two portions a week. Participants reported consuming over 1.5 por- tions of meat and meat products per day, and less than 1-2.5 por- tions of fish per week. Around half consumed less than one portion of dairy product daily. Daily alcohol consumption was low, with most participants consuming less than one unit per day, whilst almost a quarter reported using olive oil in cooking or dressing on a regular basis. Compared to other studies in universities in Spain, Cyprus and Greece, the Maltese students in this cohort registered the lowest consumption of fish and olive oil. The pilot study, which can be extended to a larger sample of the Maltese population, recruited students outside the University premises. The results revealed an inade- quate nutritional intake for some food groups, reflecting a more Westernized dietary pattern char- acterized by meat consumption. The consumption of more than two portions of fruits was higher in students with a high BMI (body mass index) value. In addition, students from healthcare faculties consumed more fruits and vegeta- bles than those in other faculties. Students aged 21–23 consumed more portions of legumes than other age groups. Males con- sumed more fish, meat and dairy products than female students. The study's authors recom- mended public health and policy initiatives to increase adherence to healthy dietary patterns and shift current dietary trends back to the traditional, healthier Med- iterranean diet. Young are eating more meat and less veg and fruit Fruit Vegetables Legumes Meat Fish Cereals Olive oil 44% 26% 36% 34% >80%* 10% 48%** *80% reported eating less than 2.5 weekly portions of fish while 20% reported eating more than this amount **48% used olive oil rarely while only 24% used it regularly Percentage of respondents who said they ate less than one portion a day of these food groups