How to Use fdsrch

Your complete guide to finding foods that fit your lifestyle

Quick Start

  1. Search for any food product by name, brand, or ingredient
  2. Set up your dietary preferences to highlight or avoid specific ingredients
  3. Use the barcode scanner for quick product lookups while shopping

1. Searching for Foods

fdsrch lets you search over 700,000+ food products from the FDA FoodData Central database.

How to Search
  • By product name: Search "peanut butter", "almond milk", "greek yogurt"
  • By brand: Search "Kirkland", "Trader Joes", "Nature Valley"
  • By ingredient: Search "quinoa", "oat flour", "coconut oil"
Tip: Use multiple words to narrow results. Searching "chocolate chip cookie" gives more specific results than just "cookie".
Understanding Search Results

Each result shows:

  • Product name & brand - The full product title
  • GTIN/Barcode - The unique product identifier
  • Macros (P/C/F) - Protein, Carbs, and Fat per serving
  • Ingredients - Full ingredient list with your preferences highlighted

2. Viewing Product Details

Click on any product to see its full details including:

  • Complete ingredient list - Every ingredient parsed and displayed
  • Nutrition facts - Toggle between fdsrch view and traditional label format
  • Allergen information - Common allergens like milk, soy, wheat, nuts
  • Fit score - How well the product matches your dietary preferences (when configured)
Products show ingredients with your "Heads Up" items highlighted in yellow and "Avoid" items in red.

3. Setting Up Your Food Preferences

fdsrchs most powerful feature is personalized ingredient tracking. Click "Set up in Personalize" on the search page to configure.

Choose an Eating Style (Optional)

Quick presets automatically configure common dietary restrictions:

Vegan
Vegetarian
Keto
Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
Nut-Free
Paleo
Clean Eating
Customize Your Ingredients

Fine-tune what youre looking for with four categories:

Category What it does Example use
! Avoid Completely Products with these are flagged as incompatible Allergens (peanuts, shellfish)
? Heads Up Highlighted in results so you notice them Added sugars, artificial colors
~ Limit Track ingredients you want to reduce Sodium, saturated fat
+ Want More Ingredients youre actively seeking Fiber, protein, probiotics
Browse Ingredient Categories

Click "Browse" to explore ingredients by category:

  • 📦 Additives (164 ingredients)
  • 🥛 Dairy Products (19 ingredients)
  • 🍎 Fruits (46 ingredients)
  • 🌾 Grains & Cereals (85 ingredients)
  • 🥜 Nuts & Seeds (4 categories)
  • 🫓 Oils & Fats (116 ingredients)
  • 🥩 Proteins & Meats (37 ingredients)
  • 🧂 Seasonings & Spices (59 ingredients)
  • 🍯 Sweeteners (36 ingredients)
  • 🥬 Vegetables (59 ingredients)
  • 💊 Vitamins & Minerals (75 ingredients)
  • 🥤 Water & Beverages (90 ingredients)
Your preferences are saved locally in your browser and sync across all your searches automatically.

4. Using the Barcode Scanner

Scan products while shopping to instantly check if they fit your preferences.

How to Scan
  1. Click "Scan barcode" in the navigation
  2. Allow camera access when prompted
  3. Point your camera at the products barcode
  4. Hold steady until the barcode is detected
  5. View the product details instantly
Best on mobile: The scanner works best on smartphones with rear cameras. Desktop webcams may work but are harder to position.
Product Not Found?

If a scanned barcode isnt in our database, you can contribute the product information! Take photos of the nutrition label and ingredient list, and our system will process it automatically.

5. Pro Tips

Save Favorites

Click the star icon on products you buy regularly for quick access later.

Add to Home Screen

On mobile, add fdsrch to your home screen for app-like quick access while shopping.

Search Smart

Search by GTIN number directly if you know the product barcode.

Preferences Sync

Your preferences are stored locally - use the same browser to keep them consistent.

Frequently Asked Questions

fdsrch uses data from FDA FoodData Central, the official U.S. government database of food composition. We sync daily to keep information current.

Yes! Your dietary preferences are stored locally in your browser. We dont require an account and dont track your personal food choices.

Not all products are in the FDA database. Store brands, regional products, or very new items may be missing. Use the barcode scanner to contribute missing products!

Currently, fdsrch requires an internet connection to search the database. Your preferences are cached locally, so theyll be ready when you reconnect.
Start Searching