Azerbaijan takes step towards nationwide food consumption survey

Azerbaijan has completed a pilot food consumption survey, marking an important step towards developing nationally representative data on what people consume. Conducted by the Azerbaijan Food Safety Institute (AFSI), a public legal entity subordinate to the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AFSA), with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the pilot tested the methodology that could underpin a nationwide survey to inform food safety risk assessments and nutrition policies.

Over ten days, the pilot was carried out in Shabran by the Azerbaijan Food Safety Institute. It included a sample of 150 males and females aged 20–64 years. Participants were asked to recall what they consumed during the previous 24 hours and describe the amounts consumed.

“This pilot approach is a significant and ambitious step for AFSA. It has the potential to be scaled up nationally, laying the foundation to produce a comprehensive dataset on food consumption patterns to inform nutrition and food safety decisions in Azerbaijan.” Mary Kenny, Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer. 

The Government of Azerbaijan has recognised the need for representative, up-to-date food consumption data to provide reliable evidence for decision-making. These data are intended primarily for food safety risk assessment. Potential exposure to a food safety hazard depends not only on its presence or concentration in food, but also on how much of that food people consume, and how often they consume it. Understanding consumption patterns can therefore help authorities estimate exposure for different population groups and identify situations where food safety measures may need to be reviewed. When combined with data on the nutrient content of foods (food composition data), they could also offer insights into dietary patterns and nutrient intake.

“This pilot survey is an important milestone for Azerbaijan where very little data exists on food consumption and nutrient intakes. This data is absolutely fundamental to inform future policies and programmes in the area of nutrition and food safety,” added Bridget Holmes, FAO Nutrition and Food Systems Officer. 

Looking beyond the pilot 

The FAO Technical Cooperation Programme project “Building capacities on food consumption data for better nutrition and safer food” supports Azerbaijan in strengthening technical capacity to collect food consumption data and developing a national roadmap.

To prepare for the survey, FAO worked with members of the National Working Group on Food Consumption Data and technical staff to compare data collection methods and identify one suited to Azerbaijan’s objectives. FAO also facilitated an exchange with technical experts from Türkiye to share experience with similar surveys. 

The Shabran pilot allowed for experiential learning by the team of interviewers in using the methodology and highlighted areas for improvement which will be addressed through capacity development ahead of AFSA’s planned nationwide expansion of the survey. 

"Accurate data is the compass of modern nutrition and food security. The successful completion of our food consumption pilot survey in Azerbaijan marks a vital stepping stone toward a nationwide survey. These foundational insights pave the way for a comprehensive, country-wide initiative to shape the future of national nutrition and food security." Vafa Aghayeva, Head of Food Safety and Risk Assessment Division at AFSI.

FAO and AFSA are now reviewing the pilot findings and lessons learned to inform the design of a potential nationwide survey covering a representative sample of Azerbaijan’s population.