Data on individual food consumption are needed to better inform agriculture and food policymakers at global, national and sub-national levels and make them more mindful of individual nutrition. Food consumption data disaggregated by sex and age will help assess the dietary exposure to food safety hazards, identify the main sources of these hazards and carry out risk analysis.
The Individual Quantitative Food Consumption Data (IQFCD) is being collected in many countries, including low-income countries. However, the data produced are largely under-utilized due to poor dissemination and lack of data harmonization that prevents comparisons across periods of time, geographical locations and seasons. In response to this, FAO and WHO have been developing a global database of IQFCD under a joint initiative called FAO/WHO Global Individual Consumption Data Tool (FAO/WHO GIFT). This disseminates existing IQFCD in an easy to understand age and sex-disaggregated indicators of food consumption and nutrition for different ranges of users.
As DOST-FNRI aims to be at par with global standards of food consumption analysis and to build capacities in conducting in-depth analysis of IQFCD, the Institute facilitated a workshop on FAO/WHO GIFT Platform. This included food and nutrition lectures, discussions, exercises, practical applications and consultations with the expert. The guest expert in the conduct of the 3-week workshop is Ms. Victoria Padula de Quadros.
Ms. Victoria Padula de Quadros is an International Nutrition Consultant of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). She joined the Nutrition and Food Systems Division at FAO Headquarters (Rome, Italy) in March 2017 to support the development of the FAO/WHO Global Individual Food consumption data Tool (FAO/WHO GIFT). Her main activities are related to data management, data harmonization and statistical data analysis of individual quantitative food consumption databases. Victoria’s academic background consists of a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology with specialization in Human Physiology, and a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition.
The workshop ran for three (3) weeks from November 11 to 29, 2019, covering different capacity development activities which included:
1. FAO/WHO GIFT Platform Overview
2. Current FNRI’s trainings and undertakings related to Food Consumption Data
3. General Introduction to FoodEx2
4. Exercises on Coding with FoodEx2
5. Matching Food Consumption to Food Composition Data
6. Importance of recipe disaggregation for the analysis of food consumption data
7. Compilation and application of yield and retention factors
8. Potential Uses of FAO/WHO GIFT Platform for evidence-based policy making and Food-Based Dietary Guidelines
9. Potential Uses of FAO/WHO GIFT Platform for dietary exposure assessment and Total Diet Studies
