🔔 USDA FDC Analytical Sub-Sample Results

Structured laboratory sub-sample measurement records from USDA FoodData Central, read directly from the official FDC full-CSV data dump (sub_sample_result.csv). One record per lab sub-sample result, streamed out of the ~481 MB archive over HTTP Range — the full archive is never downloaded.

Output is one sub_sample_result row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one sub-sample result (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.02 per sub-sample result). Source: fdc.nal.usda.gov.

No login, no API key and no CAPTCHA solving are involved: the source is read logged-out with an identified contact User-Agent.

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run ttvk7qN5FtUPbEukN on build 0.1.5 (2026-09-19), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

food_nutrient_id	adjusted_amount	lab_method_id	nutrient_name	release_date	release_checksum
2201844	1.98	1004	Ash	2026-04-30	6a860e3e-1cb35fb7

The run finished with the status message: NORMAL: 1 unique rows (0 duplicates collapsed) from 2026-04-30. billable=1

✅ What you get

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• record_type (string/null) — e.g. sub_sample_result
• food_nutrient_id (string/null) — e.g. 2201844
• adjusted_amount (string/null) — e.g. 1.98
• lab_method_id (string/null) — e.g. 1004
• nutrient_name (string/null) — e.g. Ash
• source_url (string/null) — e.g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets
• source (string/null) — e.g. fdc-analytical-subsample-results
• release_date (string/null) — e.g. 2026-04-30
• observed_at (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-19T02:13:15Z
• release_checksum (string/null) — e.g. 6a860e3e-1cb35fb7
• license (string/null) — e.g. USDA FoodData Central — CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). Cite: U.S. Departmen
• attribution (string/null) — e.g. USDA Agricultural Research Service — FoodData Central (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov)
• terminal (string/null) — null in every sample row
• scope (string/null) — null in every sample row
• note (string/null) — null in every sample row
• reported_total (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• raw_seen (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• duplicates (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• unique_found (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• delivered (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

• record_type (string/null) — e.g. sub_sample_result
• food_nutrient_id (string/null) — e.g. 2201844
• adjusted_amount (string/null) — e.g. 1.98
• lab_method_id (string/null) — e.g. 1004
• nutrient_name (string/null) — e.g. Ash
• source_url (string/null) — e.g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets
• source (string/null) — e.g. fdc-analytical-subsample-results
• release_date (string/null) — e.g. 2026-04-30
• observed_at (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-19T01:29:57Z
• release_checksum (string/null) — e.g. 6a860e3e-1cb35fb7
• license (string/null) — e.g. USDA FoodData Central — CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). Cite: U.S. Departmen
• attribution (string/null) — e.g. USDA Agricultural Research Service — FoodData Central (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov)
• terminal (string/null) — null in every sample row
• scope (string/null) — null in every sample row
• note (string/null) — null in every sample row
• reported_total (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• raw_seen (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• duplicates (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• unique_found (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row
• delivered (string/integer/null) — null in every sample row

What you get

One sub_sample_result per row of sub_sample_result.csv, carried source-native and verbatim:

• food_nutrient_id — the FDC food-nutrient measurement this sub-sample belongs to
• adjusted_amount — the lab sub-sample's measured value, verbatim (no unit is inferred)
• lab_method_id — the analytical lab method
• nutrient_name — the nutrient measured
• release_date, release_checksum (archive ETag), source_url, license, attribution

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "foodNutrientIds": [
    "2201844"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 50,
  "maxScanRows": 200000
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.02 sub_sample_result = $0.04 on the Free tier — every delivered row was billed.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "foodNutrientIds": [
    "2201844"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 5,
  "maxScanRows": 200000
}

Caps the run at 5 rows — about $0.12 on the Free tier ($0.02 start + 5 × $0.02).

3. A full-size run

{
  "foodNutrientIds": [
    "2201844"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 2500,
  "maxScanRows": 200000
}

Up to 2500 rows (the schema default for maxRecords) — about $50.02 on the Free tier ($0.02 start + 2500 × $0.02) if the source has that many.

4. A filtered run

{
  "foodNutrientIds": [
    "2201844"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 50,
  "maxScanRows": 200000,
  "fieldMatch": {
    "nutrient_name": "Ash"
  }
}

Keeps only rows whose nutrient_name contains Ash (a value from the sample run above), matched case-insensitively after the source is read and before the maxRecords cap, so the cap counts matches and only delivered matches are billed. searchText does the same across every column. Zero matches end the run as EMPTY_SELECTION with no row charged — if the source has moved on since that sample run, pick a value you see in your own first run. The source is still read in full — this narrows what you receive and pay for, not what the source serves.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run ttvk7qN5FtUPbEukN, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_type": "sub_sample_result",
  "food_nutrient_id": "2201844",
  "adjusted_amount": "1.98",
  "lab_method_id": "1004",
  "nutrient_name": "Ash",
  "source_url": "https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets",
  "source": "fdc-analytical-subsample-results",
  "release_date": "2026-04-30",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-19T02:13:15Z",
  "release_checksum": "6a860e3e-1cb35fb7",
  "license": "USDA FoodData Central — CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). Cite: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central.",
  "attribution": "USDA Agricultural Research Service — FoodData Central (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov)"
}

🔧 How it works

Source. The actor reads fdc.nal.usda.gov — endpoints: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_csv_. Public pages and feeds only; nothing behind a login.

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. robots.txt is read first and a disallowed path is never fetched. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent. Pacing: CRAWL_DELAY=0.0.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each sub-sample result is charged at the moment it is pushed (sub_sample_result); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count.

🔧 How it works

Filters

Supply at least one of foodNutrientIds, labMethodIds, or nutrientContains — the member is never emitted in full. maxRecords caps delivery (one charge per delivered record, hard cap 5000); maxScanRows bounds the streamed scan so every run is finite (a PARTIAL terminal if the cap is not reached in-bound).

Honesty & privacy

Values and source IDs are carried verbatim. This member has no unit column, so no unit is ever inferred; the unit is defined by the nutrient upstream, not by this actor. No nutrition, health, or lab conclusion is emitted. An explicit field allow-list is delivered — only the four analytical columns are ever emitted, so no submitter, contact, or person field can be delivered even if the source schema changes.

Dedupe

The member carries no row id; records are keyed by a source-native composite of the filed fields (food_nutrient_id, lab_method_id, nutrient_name, adjusted_amount). Exact-duplicate rows — which carry no distinguishing information — collapse; distinct measurements are preserved.

Robots

fdc.nal.usda.gov/robots.txt is User-agent: * / Disallow: (nothing disallowed). This actor reads only the official public dump and never spoofs or works around a block.

Source & licence

USDA FoodData Central — CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). Cite: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov).

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
Sub-sample result (sub_sample_result)	$0.02	$0.018	$0.016	$0.0134

Worked at the live Free-tier price:

• 1 sub-sample results: $0.02 start + 1 × $0.02 = $0.04
• 25 sub-sample results: $0.02 start + 25 × $0.02 = $0.52
• 2500 sub-sample results: $0.02 start + 2500 × $0.02 = $50.02

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee only. A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 4096 MB.

Yield on the sample run: NORMAL: 1 unique rows (0 duplicates collapsed) from 2026-04-30. billable=1. maxRecords is a hard ceiling on what is delivered and billed, never a target.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by fdc.nal.usda.gov. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, keeps to the source's robots rules (checked on every run), identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. The source (fdc.nal.usda.gov) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input; BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee only.

Q: How many rows can one run return?
A: Up to maxRecords (default 2500). Raise the cap for a bigger run; you pay per delivered row.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other NexGen Watch actors actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers fdc.nal.usda.gov. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

Q: Are there rate limits?
A: The actor paces itself against the source (CRAWL_DELAY=0.0) and honours its robots rules; there is no per-buyer limit beyond your Apify plan's concurrency.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Status says CAPPED → your cap (maxRecords) was reached → raise it for a bigger run.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.

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• 🏢 About NexGenData — NexGen Watch is NexGenData's fleet of more than 300 public data actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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