🔔 USDA FDC Portion / Serving Weight Master

One food_portion_record per row of USDA FoodData Central's food_portion table — a food's serving/portion definition: portion ID, food FDC ID, serving quantity (amount), gram weight, measure unit, sequence, portion description and modifier — carried source-native and verbatim. The small measure_unit dimension is read once and cached to label each measure_unit_id.

Differentiation: the clean, filterable portion-and-serving-weight lookup straight from the official FDC dump — the "how many grams is one serving" table, keyed by food. Filter by FDC ID, measure unit, or description text; pay per delivered portion.

Output is one food_portion_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one food portion record (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.02 per food portion 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 PIfTyHo6CFImV3Dnb 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):

id	fdc_id	seq_num	measure_unit_name	release_date	release_checksum
81549	167512	1	undetermined	2026-04-30	6a860e3e-1cb35fb7

The run finished with the status message: PARTIAL: delivered 1 records (PARTIAL: cap not reached within the 40000-row scan bound of food_portion.csv (delivered records are complete and billed))

✅ 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. food_portion_record
• id (string/null) — e.g. 81549
• fdc_id (string/null) — e.g. 167512
• seq_num (string/null) — e.g. 1
• amount (string/null) — e.g. 1.0
• measure_unit_id (string/null) — e.g. 9999
• portion_description (string/null) — null in every sample row
• modifier (string/null) — e.g. serving
• gram_weight (string/null) — e.g. 34.0
• data_points (string/null) — null in every sample row
• footnote (string/null) — null in every sample row
• min_year_acquired (string/null) — null in every sample row
• portion_id (string/null) — e.g. 81549
• measure_unit_name (string/null) — e.g. undetermined
• source_url (string/null) — e.g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/167512/nutrients
• source (string/null) — e.g. usda-fdc-portion-serving-weight-master
• release_date (string/null) — e.g. 2026-04-30
• observed_at (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-19T02:12:31Z
• 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. food_portion_record
• id (string/null) — e.g. 81549
• fdc_id (string/null) — e.g. 167512
• seq_num (string/null) — e.g. 1
• amount (string/null) — e.g. 1.0
• measure_unit_id (string/null) — e.g. 9999
• portion_description (string/null) — null in every sample row
• modifier (string/null) — e.g. serving
• gram_weight (string/null) — e.g. 34.0
• data_points (string/null) — null in every sample row
• footnote (string/null) — null in every sample row
• min_year_acquired (string/null) — null in every sample row
• portion_id (string/null) — e.g. 81549
• measure_unit_name (string/null) — e.g. undetermined
• source_url (string/null) — e.g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/167512/nutrients
• source (string/null) — e.g. usda-fdc-portion-serving-weight-master
• release_date (string/null) — e.g. 2026-04-30
• observed_at (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-19T01:27:09Z
• 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)
• 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

Fields (verbatim)

portion_id, fdc_id, seq_num, amount (serving quantity), gram_weight, measure_unit_id + measure_unit_name (label join), portion_description, modifier, data_points, footnote, min_year_acquired — all carried exactly as USDA publishes them.

⚙️ Sample inputs

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

{
  "fdcIds": [
    "167512"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 10,
  "maxScanRows": 40000
}

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

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "fdcIds": [
    "167512"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 5,
  "maxScanRows": 40000
}

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

3. A full-size run

{
  "fdcIds": [
    "167512"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 2500,
  "maxScanRows": 40000
}

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

{
  "fdcIds": [
    "167512"
  ],
  "maxRecords": 10,
  "maxScanRows": 40000,
  "fieldMatch": {
    "measure_unit_name": "undetermined"
  }
}

Keeps only rows whose measure_unit_name contains undetermined (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 PIfTyHo6CFImV3Dnb, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_type": "food_portion_record",
  "id": "81549",
  "fdc_id": "167512",
  "seq_num": "1",
  "amount": "1.0",
  "measure_unit_id": "9999",
  "portion_description": null,
  "modifier": "serving",
  "gram_weight": "34.0",
  "data_points": null,
  "footnote": null,
  "min_year_acquired": null,
  "portion_id": "81549",
  "measure_unit_name": "undetermined",
  "source_url": "https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/167512/nutrients",
  "source": "usda-fdc-portion-serving-weight-master",
  "release_date": "2026-04-30",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-19T02:12:31Z",
  "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/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 food portion record is charged at the moment it is pushed (food_portion_record); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count.

🔧 How it works

Source

The official USDA FoodData Central full-CSV dump only — https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_csv_<release>.zip (newest release auto-resolved; food_portion.csv + measure_unit.csv members). robots.txt is User-agent: * / Disallow: (nothing disallowed). The FDC API and search routes are never touched. Release date + archive checksum (ETag) ride on every record.

Filters (at least one required)

fdcIds · measureUnitIds · descriptionContains. No filter → a loud, unbilled Block. Output is capped by maxRecords (default 2500, max 5000) and bounded by maxScanRows.

What it does NOT do

No nutrition or health verdict of any kind. Amounts, gram weights and descriptions are USDA's own source figures, carried verbatim; this actor makes no dietary determination.

Licence

USDA FoodData Central — CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication); the dumps add no new rights. Cite: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov).

Billing

Pay-per-event. food_portion_record is charged once per delivered record ($0.02), GOLD-floored −10 / −20 / −33% volume ladder. apify-actor-start ($0.02) is platform-reserved, never charged in code.

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
Food Portion Record (food_portion_record)	$0.02	$0.018	$0.016	$0.0134

Worked at the live Free-tier price:

• 1 food portion records: $0.02 start + 1 × $0.02 = $0.04
• 25 food portion records: $0.02 start + 25 × $0.02 = $0.52
• 2500 food portion 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: PARTIAL: delivered 1 records (PARTIAL: cap not reached within the 40000-row scan bound of food_portion.csv (delivered records are complete and billed)). 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

• USDA Branded Food Product Master — One structured branded_food_record per branded product in USDA FoodData Central — GTIN/UPC, brand owner and name, serving size, market country, and p…
• USDA FDC Ingredient / Label Attribute Index — One food_attribute_record per row of USDA FoodData Central's food_attribute table — the heterogeneous per-food attribute values USDA records (an attr…
• USDA FDC Nutrient Observation Matrix — One nutrient_observation per row of USDA FoodData Central's food_nutrient table — the analytical observation as USDA records it: amount, data_points,…
• USDA FDC Product Update Ledger — One food_update_record per entry in USDA FoodData Central's own product update log — the FDC id, the product description, and the last_updated date,…
• USDA FNDDS Ingredient-Nutrient Matrix — One fndds_nutrient_record per row of USDA FoodData Central's fndds_ingredient_nutrient_value table — a single nutrient value for an FNDDS ingredient…
• USGS Earthquake Events Scraper — Scrape USGS earthquake events (FDSN): magnitude, location, depth, time and event ID. One record per result. Pay per result
• 🏢 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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