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USDA Food Data Central (BYOK) — connector documentation

  • MCP endpoint: https://byok-fooddatacentral.connectorbay.com/mcp
  • REST API: POST https://byok-fooddatacentral.connectorbay.com/v1/tools/{tool_name}, described by the OpenAPI 3.1 spec at https://byok-fooddatacentral.connectorbay.com/openapi.json
  • Transport: Streamable HTTP, stateless, MCP specification 2025-06-18 or later
  • Authentication: your own USDA Food Data Central api.data.gov API key for FoodData Central, sent in the X-Upstream-Key header of every request (never stored, logged or cached)
  • Health: https://byok-fooddatacentral.connectorbay.com/health · Tool schemas: https://byok-fooddatacentral.connectorbay.com/tools.json
  • Publisher: Unify Dynamics LLC · connectorbay.com/byok-fooddatacentral · agent@connectorbay.com

What USDA Food Data Central (BYOK) is for

USDA Food Data Central (BYOK) lets an AI assistant read your own USDA Food Data Central data through the USDA Food Data Central API with a key you supply (api.data.gov API key for FoodData Central). Read-only: 6 tools (search_foods, search_branded_foods, get_food, get_food_nutrients, get_foods, list_foods). The BYOK key travels with each request, is used for that one call only and is never stored, logged or cached; it is only ever sent to api.nal.usda.gov. Unofficial connector by Unify Dynamics LLC: not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by USDA Food Data Central. USDA Food Data Central and its logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to say which service the connector works with.

Ask your assistant things like:

  • "How much protein is in cheddar cheese?"
  • "Find Kellogg's cereals with their ingredients"
  • "Show the nutrients of food 534358"
  • "What are the nutrients 203, 204, 205 and 208 of food 534358?"
  • "Compare foods 534358 and 373052"
  • "List the first Foundation foods by id"

What it does

  • search_foods: Search FoodData Central foods by keywords, optionally restricted to a data type (Branded, Foundation, Survey (FNDDS), SR Legacy); returns id, description, brand, ingredients and the main nutrient values.
  • search_branded_foods: Search packaged (branded) foods by keywords and brand owner; returns id, description, brand owner, barcode (GTIN/UPC), ingredients and nutrient values.
  • get_food: Get one food by id: description, data type, brand, ingredients, serving size, category and the full list of nutrient amounts.
  • get_food_nutrients: Get only chosen nutrients of one food by id, given nutrient numbers, with the food's description and serving size.
  • get_foods: Get several foods at once by a list of ids, in abridged or full format.
  • list_foods: List foods in abridged form page by page, optionally by data type and sort order; no keywords needed.

BYOK key

You bring your own USDA Food Data Central api.data.gov API key for FoodData Central (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup). Your assistant sends it in the X-Upstream-Key header with each request. ConnectorBay uses it for that one call only: it is never stored, logged or cached, never shown in an answer, and it is only sent to api.nal.usda.gov over https, with no redirects followed. Create a key with the fewest permissions the tools need (read-only if the provider offers it), and revoke it at the provider whenever you like.

Data sources

Live from the USDA Food Data Central API (api.nal.usda.gov) with a BYOK key; documentation: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-guide. Endpoints checked against that documentation on 2026-10-16.

What it is not

Unofficial connector by Unify Dynamics LLC: not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by USDA Food Data Central. USDA Food Data Central and its logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to say which service the connector works with. It is read-only: it never creates, changes, sends or deletes anything in your USDA Food Data Central account.

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