openFDA API — Food Recall Records Export

openFDA API for food recall records export. Search official food enforcement data and export normalized records through the Apify API, schedules, webhooks, or dataset downloads. This Actor covers one public endpoint for research and internal review queues; it is not an FDA service and must not be used for public recall alerts or authoritative lifecycle tracking.

Actor ID openfda-recall-safety-monitor is a stable legacy identifier. The product scope is food enforcement search and export only, not a stored alert-history or safety-certification service.

Why use this Actor

• Recall number, product description, and recall reason
• Classification, status, report date, and classification date
• Recalling firm, country, and distribution pattern
• Source-backed AccessData URL and retrieval timestamp
• JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, RSS, and API access through Apify datasets

Use it for food recall research, importer or retailer review queues, compliance triage, and scheduled enforcement snapshots. It does not cover drug or medical-device endpoints.

Quick start

1. Add one or more valid openFDA food enforcement search expressions.
2. Choose a per-query result limit from 1 to 100.
3. Run the Actor and download the dataset or read it through the Apify API.

{
  "queries": ["status:\"Ongoing\""],
  "maxItems": 10
}

Each query must use valid openFDA search syntax. Add up to 20 search expressions and request 1–100 records per expression.

Example output

{
  "recordType": "result",
  "query": "status:\"Ongoing\"",
  "sourceId": "H-1138-2026",
  "title": "Smoked Sausage Spice 32.86#",
  "description": "Undeclared sesame allergen",
  "status": "Ongoing",
  "url": "https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/ires/?Product=H-1138-2026",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z",
  "metadata": {
    "classification": "Class I",
    "recallingFirm": "Adams Flavors, Foods & Ingredients",
    "distributionPattern": "Texas",
    "country": "United States"
  },
  "sourceName": "openFDA Food Enforcement"
}

The example is a public enforcement record. Fields can be absent when openFDA does not publish them.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
queries	string[]	Yes	Valid openFDA food enforcement search expressions. Up to 20.
maxItems	integer	No	Records stored per search expression, from 1 to 100. Default: 25.
canaryMode	boolean	No	Returns one no-network release-status row for deterministic platform QA.

Useful expressions include:

status:"Ongoing"
classification:"Class I"
recalling_firm:"Company Name"

Output data contract

Each row uses the stable fields recordType, query, sourceId, title, description, status, url, publishedAt, updatedAt, metrics, metadata, sourceName, sourceUrl, retrievedAt, and releaseState.

The OUTPUT record in the default key-value store reports the item count, empty-query count, network use, release state, and any mandatory notice.

Automate it

• Run recurring food enforcement snapshots with Apify Schedules
• Trigger downstream research workflows with webhooks
• Read the dataset from the Apify API
• Export to JSON, CSV, Excel, or another supported dataset format

For a buyer-focused guide and integration examples, see the openFDA Food Recall API page.

Limitations and responsible use

• Source: openFDA food enforcement API
• Responsible-use guidance: openFDA food enforcement documentation
• API documentation: openFDA APIs
• Query syntax: openFDA query syntax
• Terms: openFDA API terms
• Food enforcement records only
• Public-domain/CC0 source data
• Informational output; no diagnosis, causality assessment, or medical advice
• Do not use enforcement data to issue public alerts or track a recall lifecycle. openFDA notes that a published status may remain unchanged after classification; verify current recall information through official FDA notices.
• The FDA name and marks are not used to imply endorsement; this is an independent product using public openFDA data
• HTTPS source hosts are allowlisted; responses, retries, and timeouts are bounded
• Empty searches produce an explicit emptyResult row and are not charged

API comparison

Option	Best for	Important boundary
Direct openFDA API	Custom source queries and application-specific handling	You own normalization, storage, retries, and downstream exports
This Actor	Bounded searches with normalized Apify datasets and automation	Research only; not public alerting or authoritative recall lifecycle tracking

Use scheduled queries for internal research snapshots only. For current public recall information, consult official FDA notices instead of treating these enforcement records as an alert or lifecycle system.

Validation evidence

On 2026-07-23, the bounded source canary returned 10 complete food enforcement records from 17,816 reported matches. On 2026-07-24, actor-specific live QA returned five non-empty records from the deployed build.

Pricing

The primary pay-per-event charge is result-item.

• List price: $0.002 per successfully stored source record
• Apify plan tiers: $0.0018, $0.0016, or $0.0014 per record
• Canary, empty-result, and failed rows are not charged
• Maximum valid input: 20 queries × 100 records = 2,000 source records, or $4.00 maximum list-price PPE charge per run
• Duplicate query strings are removed before requests; if the same source record matches two different queries, each stored row is charged

Apify platform compute charges and plan credits are shown separately by Apify.

Support

For a reproducible issue, include the public search expression, expected behavior, run ID, and the relevant public enforcement record. Do not send medical or patient information.

FAQ

Is this an FDA drug or device API?

No. It covers the openFDA food enforcement endpoint only.

Does this provide medical advice?

No. It normalizes public enforcement records for research and operational workflows.

Can I use it for public recall alerts or lifecycle tracking?

No. The official openFDA food enforcement documentation says this data should not be used to issue public alerts or track a recall lifecycle, and a published status may remain unchanged after classification. Use it for research and internal triage, then verify current information through official FDA notices.

Can it monitor recalls?

You can schedule repeated research snapshots and compare datasets downstream. The Actor does not maintain a historical diff database and must not be treated as an authoritative alert or lifecycle service.