# OpenFDA Recall and Enforcement Monitor (`bakos_bence/openfda-recalls`) Actor

Query the public openFDA enforcement API for food, drug, or device recalls with Lucene search filters. One row per recall with firm, product, status, classification, and distribution fields. Unofficial; not affiliated with the FDA.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/bakos\_bence/openfda-recalls.md
- **Developed by:** [Bakos Bence](https://apify.com/bakos_bence) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.25 / 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.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

### What does OpenFDA Recall and Enforcement Monitor do?

**Query the public openFDA enforcement API** for **food, drug, or device recalls** with Lucene search filters — **no API keys and no login**. Each dataset row is one recall with firm, product description, reason, status, classification, geography, and distribution fields. Export **JSON or CSV** via Apify API, schedule, or MCP.

**Unofficial.** This Actor is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, or maintained by** the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It reads **public** openFDA endpoints only.

**Dashboards:** connect **Power BI**, **Tableau**, **Looker Studio**, or **Qlik** to the dataset API — see *Export to Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio & Qlik* near the end. **AI agents:** paste this Actor's Store page URL into an Apify-capable agent (MCP / Claude / Cursor with Apify), create an Apify account and API token once, and the agent can run the Actor and wire up the output.

#### Why use this OpenFDA recall monitor?

- 🏥 Food, drug, and device enforcement recalls in one Actor
- 🔍 Lucene search on status, firm, classification, and more
- 📊 Structured rows ready for compliance dashboards
- 🛡️ Direct HTTP — lightweight, no browser

#### How to scrape FDA recalls

1. Open this Actor in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com/).
2. Click **Start** on the prefilled food + `status:Ongoing` query (`maxItems` 5).
3. Switch `dataset` to `drug` or `device` and adjust `searchQuery` as needed.
4. Export the dataset or pull via API.

```json
{
  "dataset": "food",
  "searchQuery": "status:Ongoing",
  "maxItems": 5,
  "proxyType": "none"
}
```

#### How much does it cost?

**Pay per event (PPE):** Actor start + each recall **result** row. On Free, results are about **$0.49 / 1,000**; paid plans are lower (see the Pricing tab).

#### Input

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `dataset` | `food`, `drug`, or `device` |
| `searchQuery` | openFDA Lucene search string |
| `maxItems` | Cap on recall rows |
| `proxyType` | Optional proxy |

#### Sample output

```json
{
  "recallNumber": "F-1234-2024",
  "recallingFirm": "Example Foods Inc.",
  "productDescription": "Frozen vegetable blend 16 oz bag",
  "reasonForRecall": "Potential Listeria contamination",
  "status": "Ongoing",
  "classification": "Class I",
  "reportDate": "2024-03-15",
  "city": "Chicago",
  "state": "IL",
  "country": "United States",
  "distributionPattern": "Nationwide",
  "productQuantity": "12,000 cases",
  "sourceUrl": "https://api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json?...",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-09-09T10:00:00+00:00"
}
```

#### FAQ

##### Is this official FDA software?

No. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the FDA. Do not rely on openFDA for medical decisions.

##### Do I need an API key?

No for basic use — openFDA public endpoints. High-volume use may require an FDA API key per their terms.

##### Can AI agents call this?

Yes — Actor ID `bakos_bence/openfda-recalls` via Apify API or [MCP](https://mcp.apify.com).

##### Something broke?

Open the **Issues** tab on this Actor's page.

#### Related Actors

| Actor | Use together when… |
|-------|-------------------|
| [Public Document Finder](https://apify.com/bakos_bence/public-document-finder) | You need broader public regulatory document search |
| [Domain Typosquat Scanner](https://apify.com/bakos_bence/domain-typosquat-scanner) | You need brand/domain risk checks alongside recall monitoring |

Profile: [bakos\_bence on Apify](https://apify.com/bakos_bence).

#### For AI agents & LLM apps

Paste this Actor's **Apify Store URL** into an agent that can use Apify (MCP, Claude, Cursor, etc.). With an Apify account and API token, the agent can set input, run the Actor, and fetch the dataset.

#### Export to Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio & Qlik

1. Run the Actor (or open a finished run).
2. Open the **Dataset** → **API** / **Export**.
3. Copy the dataset items URL (JSON or CSV).
4. In your BI tool, add a **web / API** data source with that URL (and your Apify token as a header or query param if required).
5. Refresh on a schedule that matches your recall monitoring cadence.

Recall data is public FDA enforcement information — always verify critical compliance decisions against official FDA sources.

# Actor input Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

openFDA enforcement dataset: food, drug, or device.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

openFDA Lucene search string (e.g. status:Ongoing, classification:Class I, recalling\_firm:"Acme").

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Cap recall rows returned. Leave at 5 for a cheap first run.

## `proxyType` (type: `string`):

Leave on none — api.fda.gov is public. Enable Apify Proxy only if rate-limited.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Used only when Proxy is Apify Proxy.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "dataset": "food",
  "searchQuery": "status:Ongoing",
  "maxItems": 5,
  "proxyType": "none",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Default dataset items.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "dataset": "food",
    "searchQuery": "status:Ongoing",
    "maxItems": 5,
    "proxyType": "none"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("bakos_bence/openfda-recalls").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "dataset": "food",
    "searchQuery": "status:Ongoing",
    "maxItems": 5,
    "proxyType": "none",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("bakos_bence/openfda-recalls").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "dataset": "food",
  "searchQuery": "status:Ongoing",
  "maxItems": 5,
  "proxyType": "none"
}' |
apify call bakos_bence/openfda-recalls --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,bakos_bence/openfda-recalls"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/hwy4L2hfeDzDTyObf/builds/fdDkWRtkUuFLN2Z1h/openapi.json