🔔 USDA FDC Sample Provenance Graph

The provenance / traceability graph behind USDA FoodData Central foods — how a sample food links to its sub-samples and to the market acquisition it came from — read directly from the official FDC full-CSV dump (acquisition_samples.csv, sub_sample_food.csv, market_acquisition.csv), streamed out of the ~481 MB archive over HTTP Range.

Output is one sample_provenance_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one sample provenance record (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.02 per sample provenance record). 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 N6n55csrDBxsw5cOg 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):

edge_type	expiration_date	acquisition_date	sample_lot_nbr	store_city	store_name
market_acquisition	2015-11-09	2015-10-06	10:0823	HASTINGS	ALLENS FOOD MART
market_acquisition	2015-11-09	2015-10-06	10:0823	HASTINGS	ALLENS FOOD MART
market_acquisition	2015-11-02	2015-09-27	1 231 02160132	PITTSBURGH	SHOP N SAVE
market_acquisition	2015-11-02	2015-09-27	1 231 165302	TUCSON	BASHAS MARKET
market_acquisition	2015-11-13	2015-09-19	3:38:52	ESTHERVILLE	HY VEE FOOD STORE
market_acquisition	2015-11-13	2015-09-19	3:38:42 AM	ESTHERVILLE	HY VEE FOOD STORE
market_acquisition	2015-11-13	2015-09-19	3:38:54 AM	ESTHERVILLE	HY VEE FOOD STORE
market_acquisition	2015-10-12	2015-09-26	5:50:03 PM	HOUSTON	RANDALLS FOOD MARKET

The run finished with the status message: NORMAL: 50 unique rows (0 duplicates collapsed) from 2026-04-30. billable=50

✅ 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. sample_provenance_record
• edge_type (string/null) — e.g. market_acquisition
• fdc_id (string/null) — e.g. 319875
• brand_description (string/null) — null in every sample row
• expiration_date (string/null) — e.g. 2015-11-09
• label_weight (string/null) — null in every sample row
• location (string/null) — e.g. NE1
• acquisition_date (string/null) — e.g. 2015-10-06
• sales_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• sample_lot_nbr (string/null) — e.g. 10:0823
• sell_by_date (string/null) — null in every sample row
• store_city (string/null) — e.g. HASTINGS
• store_name (string/null) — e.g. ALLENS FOOD MART
• store_state (string/null) — e.g. NE
• upc_code (string/null) — e.g. 40822011143
• acquisition_number (string/null) — e.g. NFY1212JE
• record_key (string/null) — e.g. market_acquisition:dc087f7d231a58f7
• source_url (string/null) — e.g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets
• source (string/null) — e.g. fdc-sample-provenance-graph
• release_date (string/null) — e.g. 2026-04-30
• observed_at (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-19T02:15:10Z
• release_checksum (string/null) — e.g. 6a860d85-1cb35fb7
• 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)
• fdc_id_of_sample_food (string/null) — null in every sample row
• fdc_id_of_acquisition_food (string/null) — null in every sample row
• 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. sample_provenance_record
• edge_type (string/null) — e.g. market_acquisition
• fdc_id (string/null) — e.g. 319875
• brand_description (string/null) — null in every sample row
• expiration_date (string/null) — e.g. 2015-11-09
• label_weight (string/null) — null in every sample row
• location (string/null) — e.g. NE1
• acquisition_date (string/null) — e.g. 2015-10-06
• sales_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• sample_lot_nbr (string/null) — e.g. 10:0823
• sell_by_date (string/null) — null in every sample row
• store_city (string/null) — e.g. HASTINGS
• store_name (string/null) — e.g. ALLENS FOOD MART
• store_state (string/null) — e.g. NE
• upc_code (string/null) — e.g. 40822011143
• acquisition_number (string/null) — e.g. NFY1212JE
• record_key (string/null) — e.g. market_acquisition:dc087f7d231a58f7
• source_url (string/null) — e.g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets
• source (string/null) — e.g. fdc-sample-provenance-graph
• release_date (string/null) — e.g. 2026-04-30
• observed_at (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-19T01:34:23Z
• 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)
• fdc_id_of_sample_food (string/null) — null in every sample row
• fdc_id_of_acquisition_food (string/null) — null in every sample row
• 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 sample_provenance_record per row, typed by edge_type, with the raw foreign keys carried verbatim:

• acquisition_sample — fdc_id_of_sample_food ← fdc_id_of_acquisition_food
• sub_sample_food — fdc_id → fdc_id_of_sample_food
• market_acquisition — fdc_id plus brand_description, store_name, store_city, store_state, upc_code, acquisition_number, acquisition_date, and related market provenance fields

⚙️ Sample inputs

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

{
  "edgeTypes": [
    "market_acquisition"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 10,
  "maxScanRows": 300000
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 50 × $0.02 sample_provenance_record = $1.02 on the Free tier — every delivered row was billed.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "edgeTypes": [
    "market_acquisition"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 5,
  "maxScanRows": 300000
}

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

3. A full-size run

{
  "edgeTypes": [
    "market_acquisition"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 2500,
  "maxScanRows": 300000
}

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

{
  "edgeTypes": [
    "market_acquisition"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 10,
  "maxScanRows": 300000,
  "fieldMatch": {
    "store_name": "ALLENS FOOD MART"
  }
}

Keeps only rows whose store_name contains ALLENS FOOD MART (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 N6n55csrDBxsw5cOg, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_type": "sample_provenance_record",
  "edge_type": "market_acquisition",
  "fdc_id": "319875",
  "brand_description": null,
  "expiration_date": "2015-11-09",
  "label_weight": null,
  "location": "NE1",
  "acquisition_date": "2015-10-06",
  "sales_type": null,
  "sample_lot_nbr": "10:0823",
  "sell_by_date": null,
  "store_city": "HASTINGS",
  "store_name": "ALLENS FOOD MART",
  "store_state": "NE",
  "upc_code": "40822011143",
  "acquisition_number": "NFY1212JE",
  "record_key": "market_acquisition:dc087f7d231a58f7",
  "source_url": "https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets",
  "source": "fdc-sample-provenance-graph",
  "release_date": "2026-04-30",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-19T02:15:10Z",
  "release_checksum": "6a860d85-1cb35fb7",
  "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 sample provenance record is charged at the moment it is pushed (sample_provenance_record); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count.

🔧 How it works

Integrity — unlike edges are never collapsed

The dedup key is the edge_type + the full source-native row content, so an acquisition edge and a sub-sample edge that happen to share an id remain distinct records — no unlike edges are ever merged. A per-member schema canary fails loud on header drift. Referential coverage (distinct node ids referenced per edge type) is reported in the run receipt.

Filters

Supply at least one of edgeTypes, fdcIds, or storeStates — the members are never emitted in full. maxRecords caps delivery (one charge per delivered record, hard cap 5000); maxScanRows bounds each member scan so every run is finite.

Robots & licence

fdc.nal.usda.gov/robots.txt is User-agent: * / Disallow: (nothing disallowed). 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). No nutrient value, health verdict, or manufactured relationship is emitted.

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
Sample provenance record (sample_provenance_record)	$0.02	$0.018	$0.016	$0.0134

Worked at the live Free-tier price:

• 8 sample provenance records: $0.02 start + 8 × $0.02 = $0.18
• 25 sample provenance records: $0.02 start + 25 × $0.02 = $0.52
• 2500 sample provenance records: $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: 50 unique rows (0 duplicates collapsed) from 2026-04-30. billable=50. 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.

🔗 Related Actors

• Euronext Oslo Regulated News — One record per regulated Euronext Oslo announcement — issuer, title, category, topic, timestamp, official archive link. Disclosure facts only; the an…
• 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_r…
• USDA FDC Calorie Conversion Factors — Delivers the published USDA FoodData Central calorie conversion factors — one calorie_factor_record per row of the food_calorie_conversion_factor.c…
• USDA FNDDS Recipe Ingredient Composition — Structured recipe composition records from USDA FoodData Central — which input foods compose each survey (FNDDS) or recipe (SR-legacy) food — read di…
• USDA FNDDS Survey Food Master — Structured FNDDS (What We Eat In America) survey food master records from USDA FoodData Central, read directly from the official FDC full-CSV dump (s…
• FRA Railroad Company Master (operating-railroad identity) — Structured operating-railroad company identifiers and attributes from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), read directly from the official FRA…
• 🏢 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.

⭐ Found this useful?

If this actor saved you a manual check, a quick review on the Apify Store helps other teams find it. Feature request or a source that changed? Open it from the Issues tab — every one is read.