2025 food industry trends in Azerbaijan: What to expect?

In 2025, the regulatory framework of the Azerbaijan Republic's Food Safety Agency (AQTA) has expanded significantly. The new sanitary norms and rules approved by the Agency directly affect the operations of food enterprises. In particular, decisions adopted in May 2025 established new requirements for biologically active food products, materials in contact with food products, and natural mineral waters.

The key changes for food enterprises under the new regulations include: the application of temporary sanitary norms for energy drinks, the regulation of trans fatty acids in spreadable fats, and the tightening of minimum quality requirements for oils named after plants. Enterprises that fail to comply with these requirements may face serious fines and production suspension measures.

Training programs organized by the Food Safety Training Center are now mandatory for enterprise managers, supervisors, chefs, quality controllers, and warehouse staff. Training costs range from 100 to 500 AZN, and participants who successfully complete the training receive a certificate with a two-year validity period.

In 2025, Azerbaijan's food industry export potential is growing. Opportunities to access the UAE and Gulf countries market are expanding. However, to take advantage of these opportunities, enterprises must ensure full compliance with international food safety standards. In particular, compliance with the OIC/SMIIC 1:2011 Halal Food standard is a key requirement for exporting to Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries.

• Establishing food product traceability systems: full traceability from raw materials to finished products must be ensured using the "one step back, one step forward" principle.
• Initial supplier verification and evaluation: a supplier management system compliant with Codex Alimentarius standards and ISO 22000:2018 must be implemented using a risk-based approach.
• Compliance with labeling and marking rules: labeling requirements in accordance with international Codex Alimentarius standards must be fulfilled.
• Application of new sanitary norms on maximum permissible levels of contaminants.

The rules for recognizing the equivalence of technical regulatory legal acts on food safety from countries that are foreign trade partners of the Republic of Azerbaijan have also been updated in 2025. This represents both an opportunity and an obligation for exporters.

In 2025, the necessity of applying a risk-based approach at all stages of the food chain has increased further. The HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system is no longer merely a recommendation — it has become a mandatory requirement for many food enterprises. The two-day HACCP training conducted by the Food Safety Training Center provides enterprises with practical knowledge for the effective implementation of this system.

The processes of establishing a HACCP team, defining product identification, conducting hazard and risk analysis across processed products and areas, and identifying critical control points must now become an integral part of the daily operations of food enterprises. As ASR Group, we provide enterprises with methodological support and consulting services in these processes.

Practical training on organizing cleaning and disinfection operations, planning sanitary-hygienic measures, selecting materials used, and safety measures is also a priority for enterprises. These trainings last two days (eight hours) and are enriched with practical assignments.

In 2025, the implementation of technological innovations in the food industry has accelerated. The expansion of remote training formats, the increase in electronic document circulation, and the organization of professional development courses in laboratories are indicators of this trend. The Food Safety Training Center now conducts trainings in both in-person and remote (via Zoom platform) formats.

The key technological innovations for enterprises include: automation of temperature control, application of sensor systems during the transportation and storage of chilled and frozen products, establishment of digital platforms for batch traceability of food products, and automation of recall and risk-based response mechanisms in incident and crisis situations.

• Real-time monitoring of all stages of the cold chain with automated temperature monitoring systems.
• Tracking the movement of products from raw materials to the end consumer through digital traceability systems.
• Application of modern analysis methods in laboratories and the organization of professional development courses.

As ASR Group, we provide comprehensive support services to enterprises operating in the food industry in 2025. Training programs conducted by our experienced experts, internal audit services, and international standards compliance consulting are aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises.

Within our services, we provide support to enterprises in the following areas: establishment and certification of food safety management systems, development and implementation of HACCP plans, organization of supplier evaluation and verification processes, expert analysis on food product labeling and marking, and preparation and accompaniment for AQTA inspections.

As ASR Group, our goal is to support the alignment of Azerbaijan's food industry with international standards, contribute to the formation of a healthy competitive environment, and provide professional consulting services to ensure safety at all stages of the food chain.