# USDA FoodData Central Nutrition Scraper (`compute-edge/usda-fooddata-scraper`) Actor Extract nutrition data from the USDA FoodData Central database. Search 300K+ foods across Branded, SR Legacy, Foundation, and Survey data types. Get calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, sodium, and full nutrient profiles with serving sizes. - **URL**: https://apify.com/compute-edge/usda-fooddata-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Compute Edge](https://apify.com/compute-edge) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $2.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## USDA FoodData Central Scraper Extract **nutrition data and food composition information** from the **USDA FoodData Central** database, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's authoritative source for food nutrient data. This Actor provides programmatic access to over **300,000 food records** across four data types: Branded commercial products, SR Legacy standard reference foods, Foundation enhanced nutrient profiles, and Survey (FNDDS) consumption data. Use this scraper to build **nutrition tracking applications**, power **dietary analysis tools**, source data for **food service and restaurant SaaS platforms**, feed **health and wellness apps**, conduct **food science research**, or enrich **e-commerce product catalogs** with verified USDA nutrient data. Every record includes **flattened key macronutrients** (calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, sodium) as top-level fields for immediate use, plus the **complete nutrient profile** with all micronutrients for detailed analysis. ### Key Features - **300,000+ food records** from the USDA FoodData Central database - **Search by keyword** — find foods by name, ingredient, or description (e.g., "chicken breast", "whole grain bread") - **Filter by data type** — Branded (commercial products with UPC codes), SR Legacy (standard reference), Foundation (enhanced profiles), Survey (FNDDS) - **Filter by brand** — target specific brand owners (e.g., "Tyson", "Dole", "General Mills") - **Flattened macronutrients** — calories, protein, total fat, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, and sodium as top-level fields - **Full nutrient breakdown** — complete array of all nutrients including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids - **Nutrient filtering** — only include specific nutrients you need (e.g., just protein and iron) - **Serving size data** — serving size, unit, and household serving text - **Product identifiers** — GTIN/UPC codes for branded products - **Ingredient lists** — full ingredient text for branded and standard reference foods - **Automatic pagination** — fetches all pages up to your maxResults limit - **Rate limit handling** — automatic retry with exponential backoff on 429 responses | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | fdcId | USDA FoodData Central unique identifier | | description | Food name/description | | dataType | Branded, SR Legacy, Foundation, or Survey (FNDDS) | | brandOwner | Brand owner company name | | brandName | Brand name | | ingredients | Full ingredient list text | | servingSize | Numeric serving size | | servingSizeUnit | Serving size unit (g, ml, etc.) | | householdServingFullText | Household serving description (e.g., "1 cup") | | calories | Energy in kcal | | protein | Protein in grams | | totalFat | Total lipid (fat) in grams | | carbohydrates | Carbohydrate by difference in grams | | fiber | Total dietary fiber in grams | | sugar | Total sugars in grams | | sodium | Sodium in milligrams | | allNutrients | Full array of all nutrient values (when includeNutrients is true) | | gtinUpc | GTIN/UPC barcode for branded products | | publishedDate | Date the record was published | | foodCategory | USDA food category classification | ### How to Scrape USDA Nutrition Data #### Step 1: Get a Free API Key (Recommended) Visit [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup) to get a free USDA API key. This removes the strict rate limits of the DEMO_KEY (30 requests/hour). The Actor will fall back to DEMO_KEY if you don't provide one, but you'll hit rate limits quickly on larger extractions. #### Step 2: Configure Your Search Set your **Search Query** to find specific foods. Examples: - `chicken breast` — finds all chicken breast products across all data types - `avocado` — finds avocado entries including branded guacamole products - `protein bar` — finds branded protein bars with full nutrition labels Optionally filter by **Data Type** to narrow results: - **Branded** — commercial products with UPC codes, brand names, and ingredient lists - **SR Legacy** — USDA standard reference database, generic food compositions - **Foundation** — enhanced nutrient profiles with more detailed analytical data - **Survey (FNDDS)** — foods as consumed in dietary surveys #### Step 3: Run the Actor Click **Start** and the Actor will search the USDA FoodData Central API, paginate through results, and output structured records with flattened macronutrients. #### Step 4: Export Your Data Download results as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the Dataset tab. Each record includes flattened key nutrients as top-level fields for easy analysis, plus the full `allNutrients` array for complete nutrient profiles. ### Input Example ```json { "searchQuery": "chicken breast", "dataType": ["SR Legacy", "Foundation"], "includeNutrients": true, "maxResults": 25 } ```` ### Output Example ```json { "fdcId": 171077, "description": "Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted", "dataType": "SR Legacy", "brandOwner": null, "brandName": null, "ingredients": null, "servingSize": 140, "servingSizeUnit": "g", "householdServingFullText": "1 unit (yield from 1 lb ready-to-cook chicken)", "calories": 165, "protein": 31.02, "totalFat": 3.57, "carbohydrates": 0, "fiber": 0, "sugar": 0, "sodium": 74, "allNutrients": [ { "nutrientName": "Protein", "value": 31.02, "unitName": "G" }, { "nutrientName": "Total lipid (fat)", "value": 3.57, "unitName": "G" }, { "nutrientName": "Energy", "value": 165, "unitName": "KCAL" } ], "gtinUpc": null, "publishedDate": "2019-04-01", "foodCategory": "Poultry Products" } ``` ### Pricing This Actor uses the USDA FoodData Central API which is free and publicly accessible. The Actor charges: - **$0.002 per result** — covers compute and API management overhead - Typical run of 100 results costs approximately **$0.20** in Actor fees plus Apify compute costs - The USDA API is free but rate-limited. Provide your own API key (free from USDA) for best performance. ### Integrations and API Access Connect this Actor to your workflow via the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2), [JavaScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js), [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python), or use webhooks to trigger downstream processing. Ideal for: - **Nutrition apps** — populate food databases with verified USDA data - **Food service SaaS** — menu nutrition labeling and dietary compliance - **Health/wellness platforms** — diet tracking, meal planning, macro counting - **E-commerce** — enrich product listings with nutrition facts - **Research** — food science, public health, agricultural economics - **RAG pipelines** — LLM-ready structured nutrition data ### FAQ **Do I need a USDA API key?** No, the Actor falls back to DEMO\_KEY which works but is limited to ~30 requests/hour. For production use, get a free key at [fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup). **What's the difference between data types?** - **Branded**: Real commercial products (e.g., "Tyson Grilled Chicken Breast Strips") with UPC codes - **SR Legacy**: Generic foods (e.g., "Chicken, breast, cooked") — the classic USDA nutrition database - **Foundation**: Like SR Legacy but with more detailed analytical methods and sampling data - **Survey (FNDDS)**: Foods as consumed in NHANES dietary surveys (e.g., "Chicken breast, grilled, skin not eaten") **Why are some nutrient values null?** Not all data types include all nutrients. Foundation and SR Legacy have the most complete profiles. Branded products depend on what the manufacturer reports. **Is this legal?** Yes. The USDA FoodData Central API is a public, freely accessible government API. All data is in the public domain. ### FAQ #### Is it legal to scrape USDA FoodData Central? Yes. This Actor uses the official USDA FoodData Central API, a free public government data service. The data is in the public domain and freely available for any use. A free API key is recommended for higher rate limits. #### How Much Does It Cost to Scrape USDA Nutrition Data? See the pricing section above. At $0.002 per result, fetching 100 food records costs approximately $0.20 in Actor fees plus minimal Apify compute costs. #### Can I export USDA nutrition data to Excel or CSV? Yes. Apify supports exporting results in JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, and other formats directly from the Dataset tab after a run completes. #### How often is the USDA data updated? The USDA FoodData Central database is updated periodically as new food analyses are completed and branded product data is refreshed. Branded product data is sourced from the Global Food Research Program. You can schedule this Actor to run at any interval. #### What is the difference between the data types? Branded foods are real commercial products with UPC codes. SR Legacy is the classic USDA nutrition database of generic foods. Foundation provides enhanced analytical profiles. Survey (FNDDS) represents foods as consumed in dietary surveys. ### Other Scrapers by SeatSignal - [FDA Food Recalls Scraper](https://apify.com/seatsignal/fda-food-recalls-scraper) — Extract FDA food recall enforcement reports - [FDA OpenFDA Scraper](https://apify.com/seatsignal/fda-openfda-scraper) — Extract FDA drug adverse events, labeling, and NDC data - [CDC Health Statistics Scraper](https://apify.com/seatsignal/cdc-health-statistics-scraper) — Extract CDC mortality, disease, and health data - [Medicare Provider Scraper](https://apify.com/seatsignal/medicare-provider-scraper) — Extract Medicare provider and facility data - [EPA ECHO Scraper](https://apify.com/seatsignal/epa-echo-scraper) — Extract environmental compliance and enforcement data ### Support For issues, feature requests, or questions, open an issue on the Actor's page or contact the author via Apify. Data is sourced from the USDA FoodData Central API and is subject to USDA data availability and accuracy. # Actor input Schema ## `apiKey` (type: `string`): Your USDA FoodData Central API key. Get one free at https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup. If not provided, falls back to DEMO\_KEY (rate-limited to 30 requests/hour). ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Search term for food items (e.g. 'chicken breast', 'avocado', 'whole milk'). Leave empty to browse all foods. ## `dataType` (type: `array`): Filter by USDA data type. Branded = commercial products, SR Legacy = standard reference, Foundation = enhanced nutrient profiles, Survey (FNDDS) = consumption survey data. ## `brandOwner` (type: `string`): Filter by brand owner name (e.g. 'Tyson', 'Dole', 'Kellogg'). Only applies to Branded data type. ## `includeNutrients` (type: `boolean`): Include the complete nutrient array (allNutrients) for each food item. Key nutrients (calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, sodium) are always included as top-level fields. ## `nutrientFilter` (type: `array`): Only include these nutrients in the allNutrients array (e.g. \["Protein", "Total lipid (fat)", "Energy"]). Leave empty to include all nutrients. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of food records to return. ## Actor input object example ```json { "dataType": [ "Branded", "SR Legacy", "Foundation", "Survey (FNDDS)" ], "includeNutrients": true, "maxResults": 100 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("compute-edge/usda-fooddata-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("compute-edge/usda-fooddata-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{}' | apify call compute-edge/usda-fooddata-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=compute-edge/usda-fooddata-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "USDA FoodData Central Nutrition Scraper", "description": "Extract nutrition data from the USDA FoodData Central database. Search 300K+ foods across Branded, SR Legacy, Foundation, and Survey data types. Get calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, sodium, and full nutrient profiles with serving sizes.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "TPLssHK0U3C5ZJebg" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/compute-edge~usda-fooddata-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-compute-edge-usda-fooddata-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~usda-fooddata-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-compute-edge-usda-fooddata-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~usda-fooddata-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-compute-edge-usda-fooddata-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "apiKey": { "title": "USDA FoodData API Key", "type": "string", "description": "Your USDA FoodData Central API key. Get one free at https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup. If not provided, falls back to DEMO_KEY (rate-limited to 30 requests/hour)." }, "searchQuery": { "title": "Search Query", "type": "string", "description": "Search term for food items (e.g. 'chicken breast', 'avocado', 'whole milk'). Leave empty to browse all foods." }, "dataType": { "title": "Data Types", "type": "array", "description": "Filter by USDA data type. Branded = commercial products, SR Legacy = standard reference, Foundation = enhanced nutrient profiles, Survey (FNDDS) = consumption survey data.", "items": { "type": "string" }, "default": [ "Branded", "SR Legacy", "Foundation", "Survey (FNDDS)" ] }, "brandOwner": { "title": "Brand Owner", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by brand owner name (e.g. 'Tyson', 'Dole', 'Kellogg'). Only applies to Branded data type." }, "includeNutrients": { "title": "Include Full Nutrient Breakdown", "type": "boolean", "description": "Include the complete nutrient array (allNutrients) for each food item. Key nutrients (calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, sodium) are always included as top-level fields.", "default": true }, "nutrientFilter": { "title": "Nutrient Filter", "type": "array", "description": "Only include these nutrients in the allNutrients array (e.g. [\"Protein\", \"Total lipid (fat)\", \"Energy\"]). Leave empty to include all nutrients.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of food records to return.", "default": 100 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```