About FoodData Explorer

FoodData Explorer is a free nutrition reference built directly on top of USDA FoodData Central — the U.S. government's official food composition database. We take that raw government data, which is powerful but built for researchers, and make it searchable, comparable, and readable for anyone trying to figure out what's actually in their food.

What we do

Every food, ingredient, and nutrient page on this site traces back to a specific USDA record — nothing here is estimated, guessed, or written from memory. We add the plain-language explanations, comparisons, and ranked lists that the raw government data doesn't include on its own, so you can answer questions like "what's actually high in iron" or "how much sodium is really in this" without digging through a research database yourself. Full detail on exactly which USDA datasets we use — and which we don't, yet — is on our data sources page; how each number is actually measured is on our methodology page.

Who maintains this site

FoodData Explorer is maintained by Phuoc Huynh, a data engineer who built this site to make USDA's nutrition data easier to use.

I keep this section current, if the person maintaining the site changes, this page changes with it.

How we keep this accurate

• Every number on this site is sourced from a specific USDA FoodData Central record — Foundation Foods (directly analyzed in USDA laboratories) or the FNDDS survey nutrient database — never estimated by us.
• Pages are stamped with the USDA data release they were last checked against, so you can see exactly how current a number is.
• Where a food or ingredient value comes from a specific laboratory method rather than a calculation, we say so — see methodology.

This isn't medical advice

FoodData Explorer reports nutrient composition data. It doesn't diagnose, treat, or provide individualized dietary recommendations. If you're managing a health condition or have specific dietary needs, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian — we're a reference for the numbers, not a substitute for one.

Found an error, or have a question?

We rely on people using the site to catch mistakes we've missed. If a number looks wrong, a food is missing, or something is unclear, tell us: [FILL IN contact method — email address or contact form link]. We review every report and correct confirmed errors; see our data sources page for how often the underlying USDA data itself gets refreshed.