usda-mcp-server

Name: usda-mcp-server
Author: cyanheads

Community

MCP server by cyanheads · updated 14 days ago · ★ 1 · 92 downloads a week

Score 74

Search foods, compare nutrients, and look up the full USDA FoodData Central database. usda-mcp-server is a community project by cyanheads, not verified by a company domain.

Install Add to Cursor Add to VS Code GitHub

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Works withClaude Code Claude Desktop Cursor Codex Gemini CLI VS Code Windsurf Antigravity CLI

Maintenance

Last commit 14 days ago

Licence

Apache-2.0: permissive, fine for commercial use

Quality

Clear description, published package or server URL, original repository

Security

No risky patterns in the files we checked

What you need

Setting	Needed	What it is
`USDA_FDC_API_KEY`Environment variable	Required	USDA FoodData Central API key from data.gov. Required for all food data requests.
`MCP_LOG_LEVEL`Environment variable	Optional	Sets the minimum log level for output (e.g., 'debug', 'info', 'warn'). Default: `info`

From the publisher's entry in the official MCP Registry. Required settings are already in the install config below as placeholders.

Install usda-mcp-server

Built from the published package, never by AI

claude mcp add usda-mcp-server -e USDA_FDC_API_KEY=YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY -- npx -y @cyanheads/usda-mcp-server

Run in your terminal. Add --scope user to use it in every project.

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in Claude Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usda-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/usda-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "USDA_FDC_API_KEY": "YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings, Developer, Edit config. Paste into claude_desktop_config.json and restart.

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usda-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/usda-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "USDA_FDC_API_KEY": "YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (this project).

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in Cursor

{
  "servers": {
    "usda-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/usda-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "USDA_FDC_API_KEY": "YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code uses "servers", not "mcpServers".

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in VS Code

codex mcp add usda-mcp-server --env USDA_FDC_API_KEY=YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY -- npx -y @cyanheads/usda-mcp-server

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in Codex

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usda-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/usda-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "USDA_FDC_API_KEY": "YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json (all projects) or .agents/mcp_config.json (this project).

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in Antigravity CLI

gemini mcp add usda-mcp-server npx -y @cyanheads/usda-mcp-server

Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI in June 2026 and remains only for enterprise licences and paid API keys.

Step-by-step: install usda-mcp-server in Gemini CLI

MCP servers run with your permissions and can read what you give them access to. Some need an API key: check the README and add it under env in the usda-mcp-server block.

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Security check

No download-and-run commands, hidden instructions or signs of sending keys out were found.

Checked automatically: README.md, package.json. This looks for known risky patterns and is not a full audit. How grades work

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usda-mcp-server: common questions

How do I install usda-mcp-server?

In Claude Code run claude mcp add usda-mcp-server -e USDA_FDC_API_KEY=YOUR_USDA_FDC_API_KEY -- npx -y @cyanheads/usda-mcp-server. For Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code, paste the config shown above and restart. See the install guides.

Is usda-mcp-server the official server?

usda-mcp-server is a community project by cyanheads, not verified by a company domain.

Is usda-mcp-server free?

The code is published under the Apache-2.0 licence. The service it connects to may have its own pricing.

Is usda-mcp-server safe to use?

It scores 74 of 100. Grades: maintenance A, licence A, quality C. Security check: grade A, no risky patterns found in the files checked. Review the code before you install. How grades work.

What are alternatives to usda-mcp-server?

Does usda-mcp-server work with ChatGPT?

Yes. Add its server URL in ChatGPT as a custom connector. See MCP in ChatGPT.