# openFDA Enforcement / Recall Search (`downright_blessing/openfda-enforcement`) Actor

Search US FDA enforcement reports (recalls) via the official openFDA API for food, drug or device. Returns classification, status, product description, recalling firm, distribution pattern and report dates as structured Dataset rows.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/downright\_blessing/openfda-enforcement.md
- **Developed by:** [Joao Pedro Rosado](https://apify.com/downright_blessing) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.00 / 1,000 recall 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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## openFDA Enforcement / Recall Search

Search **US FDA enforcement reports (recalls)** via the official [openFDA](https://open.fda.gov/) API for **food**, **drug**, or **device**. Returns classification, status, recalling firm, product description, reason, distribution pattern and report dates as structured Dataset rows.

**No API key required** (optional key raises rate limits). Diff S.

**Endpoint:** `GET https://api.fda.gov/{food|drug|device}/enforcement.json`\
**Docs:** [open.fda.gov/apis](https://open.fda.gov/apis/food/enforcement/)

***

### What it does

1. Calls the official openFDA enforcement collection with optional Lucene `search`, `limit`, `skip`.
2. Writes one Dataset row per recall/enforcement report.

### Who it's for

- Pharma / food QA and retailer compliance teams monitoring recalls
- Agents and ETL that need **official** FDA JSON (not scraped HTML)
- Cross-border importers screening US market enforcement

### Input summary

| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `endpoint` | no | `food` (default), `drug`, or `device` |
| `search` | no | openFDA Lucene query (e.g. `status:Ongoing`) |
| `limit` | no | API page size (default 25, max 1000) |
| `skip` | no | Offset for pagination |
| `maxItems` | no | Dataset cap |
| `apiKey` | no | Optional openFDA API key |

### Output fields

`endpoint`, `recallNumber`, `classification`, `status`, `recallingFirm`, `productDescription`, `productQuantity`, `reasonForRecall`, `distributionPattern`, `reportDate`, `recallInitiationDate`, `terminationDate`, `voluntaryMandated`, `city`, `state`, `country`, `eventId`, `openfda`, `sourceUrl`, `scrapedAt`.

### Pricing

**Pay-per-event** suggested:

- **Actor start** (`apify-actor-start`): **$0.03** / run
- **Dataset item** (`apify-default-dataset-item`): **$0.005** / recall row

Use `maxItems` as the spend cap.

### Quick start

```json
{ "endpoint": "food", "search": "status:Ongoing", "limit": 25, "maxItems": 25 }
```

#### Local smoke

```bash
npm run local
```

### Legal / data source

Data from the official **openFDA** public API. This Actor is independent — **not affiliated** with the FDA. openFDA data may be incomplete or delayed; **do not rely on it alone for medical or regulatory decisions**. See [openFDA terms](https://open.fda.gov/terms/).

***

### Português (resumo)

Busca recalls / enforcement da **FDA** (food/drug/device) via openFDA oficial. Ideal para QA, varejo e compliance. Sem API key obrigatória. PPE sugerido: ~US$0,03 por execução + ~US$0,005 por recall.

# Actor input Schema

## `endpoint` (type: `string`):

Which openFDA enforcement collection to query.

## `search` (type: `string`):

openFDA search expression, e.g. recalling\_firm:nestle OR product\_description:peanut. Empty = recent reports (no search filter).

## `limit` (type: `integer`):

openFDA limit per request (max 1000).

## `skip` (type: `integer`):

openFDA skip/offset for pagination.

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

Hard Dataset row cap.

## `apiKey` (type: `string`):

Optional. Raises rate limits. Leave empty for anonymous (240 req/min / 1000/day typical).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "endpoint": "food",
  "search": "status:Ongoing",
  "limit": 25,
  "skip": 0,
  "maxItems": 25,
  "apiKey": ""
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Default dataset items from openFDA.

# 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 = {
    "endpoint": "food",
    "search": "status:Ongoing"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("downright_blessing/openfda-enforcement").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 = {
    "endpoint": "food",
    "search": "status:Ongoing",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("downright_blessing/openfda-enforcement").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 '{
  "endpoint": "food",
  "search": "status:Ongoing"
}' |
apify call downright_blessing/openfda-enforcement --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/hg2dlxW8YjFFeevbF/builds/rq3jGV0rCV0W0mswa/openapi.json