What is Food Data Central Mcp Server

The Food Data Central MCP Server is an interface for accessing the USDA’s FoodData Central API, allowing users to search for food items, retrieve nutrient information, and manage data in various formats, including Foundation, SR Legacy, Survey, and Branded food data types.

Use cases

Users can utilize this server to search for specific foods, obtain detailed nutrient breakdowns, get multiple food item details by their IDs, and explore a paginated list of foods according to various filters such as data type and sort order. It is particularly useful for nutritionists, dietitians, and food industry professionals seeking accurate food and nutrient data.

How to use

To use the server, first set up by cloning the repository and installing dependencies. Launch it with the USDA API key as an environment variable. For integration with Claude Desktop, update the configuration file to include the MCP server details, which enables accessibility directly through the Claude interface for food-related inquiries.

Key features

Key features include the ability to search foods, access comprehensive nutrient information, and receive results in a paginated format. The server supports filtering by data types and allows users to customize their search parameters such as brand owner and trade channel.

Where to use

The Food Data Central MCP Server can be employed in various applications requiring food data, such as dietary tracking apps, nutrition analysis tools, and integrated health information systems, particularly where accurate food and nutrient information is crucial.

Food Data Central MCP Server

This is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for exposing API access to
the USDA’s FoodData Central API.

Features

• Search for foods in the USDA FoodData Central database
• Access food nutrient information
• Paginated results
• Support for multiple data types (Foundation, SR Legacy, Survey, Branded)

Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

Running the Server

The server uses stdio transport, which means it’s designed to be run as a subprocess by an MCP client. To run it directly:

# Set the USDA API key as an environment variable
export USDA_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
npm start

For development with hot reloading:

# Set the USDA API key as an environment variable
export USDA_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
npm run dev

Using with Claude Desktop

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop:

1. Open the Claude Desktop settings:

   • On macOS: Click on the Claude menu and select “Settings…”
   • On Windows: Click on the Claude menu and select “Settings…”

2. In the Settings pane, click on “Developer” in the left-hand bar, and then click on “Edit Config”

3. This will create or open a configuration file at:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

4. Add the Food Data Central MCP server to the configuration file:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "food-data-central": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "tsx",
           "/path/to/food-data-central-mcp-server/src/index.ts"
         ],
         "env": {
           "PATH": "/opt/homebrew/bin",
           "USDA_API_KEY": "<INSERT KEY HERE>"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Replace /path/to/food-data-central-mcp-server with the absolute path to this repository, and <INSERT KEY HERE> with your actual USDA API key.

   Note: If you’re on Windows, you may need to adjust the PATH value to include your npm global installation directory.

5. Save the configuration file and restart Claude Desktop

6. After restarting, you should see a hammer icon in the bottom right corner of the input box. Click on it to see the available tools.

Now Claude will be able to access the Food Data Central API through this MCP server. You can ask Claude to search for foods, get nutrient information, or retrieve detailed food data.

MCP Resources and Tools

Resources

• food://details - Get detailed information about a specific food by ID

  • Query parameters:
    • fdcId: Food Data Central ID (required)
    • format: Optional. ‘abridged’ for an abridged set of elements, ‘full’ for all elements (default)
    • nutrients: Optional. List of up to 25 nutrient numbers (comma-separated)

• food://foods - Get details for multiple food items using input FDC IDs

  • Query parameters:
    • fdcIds: List of multiple FDC IDs (required, comma-separated)
    • format: Optional. ‘abridged’ for an abridged set of elements, ‘full’ for all elements (default)
    • nutrients: Optional. List of up to 25 nutrient numbers (comma-separated)

• food://list - Get a paged list of foods

  • Query parameters:
    • dataType: Optional. Filter on a specific data type (comma-separated list)
    • pageSize: Optional. Maximum number of results to return (default: 50)
    • pageNumber: Optional. Page number to retrieve (default: 1)
    • sortBy: Optional. Field to sort by
    • sortOrder: Optional. Sort order, “asc” or “desc”

Tools

• search-foods - Search for foods using keywords
  • Parameters:
    • query: Search terms to find foods (required)
    • dataType: Optional. Filter on a specific data type (array of strings)
    • pageSize: Optional. Maximum number of results to return (default: 50)
    • pageNumber: Optional. Page number to retrieve (default: 1)
    • sortBy: Optional. Field to sort by
    • sortOrder: Optional. Sort order, “asc” or “desc”
    • brandOwner: Optional. Filter results based on the brand owner of the food (only for Branded Foods)
    • tradeChannel: Optional. Filter foods containing any of the specified trade channels
    • startDate: Optional. Filter foods published on or after this date (format: YYYY-MM-DD)
    • endDate: Optional. Filter foods published on or before this date (format: YYYY-MM-DD)

Example Usage

Get food details using the MCP resource:

food://details?fdcId=2345678&format=full

Get multiple foods using the MCP resource:

food://foods?fdcIds=534358,373052,616350

Get a list of foods using the MCP resource:

food://list?dataType=Foundation,SR Legacy&pageSize=10&pageNumber=1

Search for foods using the MCP tool:

{
  "name": "search-foods",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "apple",
    "dataType": [
      "Foundation",
      "SR Legacy"
    ],
    "pageSize": 10,
    "pageNumber": 1
  }
}