API

Status

Currently the API is mainly used internally for Cordova application, but does not follow good practices in API design. It is also used by several application and while not yet stable, doesn't change much. You can have a look at the source code of the app (https://github.com/openfoodfacts/cordova-app/blob/master/www/off.js and https://github.com/openfoodfacts/cordova-app/blob/master/www/index.html)

Getting help with the API

You can ask for help on using the API in this [channel on Slack].

Testing

You should do all your test edits on http://world.openfoodfacts.net (ask for the password on Slack)
Do not hesitate to create a global account for your app if you don't want to implement Open Food Facts user creation in your app right now.

Bugs

Do not hesitate to file a bug if you find an issue in the API, or need an improvement.
https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-server/issues

READ API Documentation

Static data

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/data

Field reference

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/data/data-fields.txt

JSON interface

Countries

You can either use the global (world) for locales (fr, en…)

A few things to note:

if you use a country subdomain instead of world, you get products for that countries only which might change the language but also the name of the fields, in that case you need to use the local language
- http://fr.openfoodfacts.org/categorie/pizzas.json
- an alternative is to specify the language in the subdomain: http://fr-en.openfoodfacts.org/category/pizzas.json

Reading a product

See http://fr.openfoodfacts.org/data or http://en.openfoodfacts.org/data The requested subdomain will be the locale fetched.

Searching for products

General principles

Advanced Search

Parameters

You can basically use all the parameters you'd use in a graphical advanced search on the site

sort_by=unique_scans_n
page_size=50 (20 by default, 1000 at most)
page=2
jqm=1 to search results pages on the web site to get results in a jquerymobile format.

Examples^{(remember to do tests on world.openfoodfacts.net - login and password: off )}

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/search.pl?search_terms=coke&search_simple=1&jqm=1

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/search.pl?search_terms=banania&search_simple=1&action=process&json=1

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/search.pl?search_terms=banania&search_simple=1&action=process&xml=1

Generic Search

Combining Tags to get custom results

Combining tags works, letting you create thousands of APIs

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/packager-code/emb-35069c/brand/sojasun.json

Languages

Languages on the packaging of the product.Currently live on Open Beauty Facts. Soon on Open Food Facts

Labels

List of labels

Individual label

Status of products

List of States

Individual Status

Packaging

List of Packagings

Individual Packaging

Brands

List of Brands

Individual Brand

Purchase Place of products

List of Purchase Place

Individual Purchase Place

Store of products

List of Stores

Individual Store

Country of products

List of Countries

Individual Country

Trace of products

List of Traces

Individual Trace

Additive of products

List of Additives

Individual Additive

allergens of products

List of allergens

Individual allergen

Barcodes

List of List of barcodes beginning with a given number

List of barcodes beginning with 3596710

Entry dates

List of entry dates

List of products with a given entry date

Packager codes

List of Packager codes

List of products with given Packager code

List of Packaging cities

http://world.openbeautyfacts.org/cities.json http://world.openbeautyfacts.org/cities.xml

List of products with given Packaging city

WRITE API Documentation

Posting photos

Photos post on /cgi/product_image_upload.pl
- code: the barcode
- imagefield: (front | ingredients | nutrition)
- imgupload_front : your image file if imagefield:front
- imgupload_ingredients: your image file if imagefield:ingredients
- imgupload_nutrition: your image file if imagefield:nutrition

Example: ^{(remember to do tests on world.openfoodfacts.net - login and password: off )}

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/product_image_upload.pl

Posting a new product

Product post to http://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/product_jqm2.pl ^{(remember to do tests on world.openfoodfacts.net - login and password: off )}
- var foodfact = { barcode : '3073780969000', name : 'KIRI GOUTER 280G 8 PORTIONS', energy: 500, energy_unit: "kJ", weight: 282 };
- var postData = {
- code : foodfact.barcode,
- user_id : "mesinfosnutritionelles",
- password : "****",
- product_name : foodfact.name?foodfact.name:foodfact.shop_label,
- quantity : foodfact.weight?""+foodfact.weight+" g":undefined,
- stores : "Intermarché",
- nutriment_energy :foodfact.energy,
- nutriment_energy_unit :foodfact.energy_unit,
- nutrition_data_per :"serving"
- {"status_verbose":"fields saved","status":1}

Example: ^{(remember to do tests on world.openfoodfacts.net - login and password: off)}

http://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/product_jqm2.pl?code=3073780969000&user_id=usernameexample&password=*****&product_name=KIRI%20GOUTER%20280G%208%20PORTIONS&quantity=282%20g&stores=Intermarch%C3%A9&nutriment_energy=500&nutriment_energy_unit=kJ&nutrition_data_per=serving

http://uk.openfoodfacts.net/product/0072417136160/maryland-choc-chip

http://world.openfoodfacts.net/cgi/product_jqm2.pl?code=072417136160&product_name=Maryland%20Choc%20Chip&quantity=230g&nutriment_energy=450&nutriment_energy_unit=kJ&nutrition_data_per=serving&ingredients_text=Fortified%20wheat%20flour%2C%20Chocolate%20chips%20%2825%25%29%2C%20Sugar%2C%20Palm%20oil%2C%20Golden%20syrup%2C%20Whey%20and%20whey%20derivatives%20%28Milk%29%2C%20Raising%20agents%2C%20Salt%2C%20Flavouring&traces=Milk%2C+Soya%2C+Nuts%2C+Wheat

http://world.openfoodfacts.net/cgi/product_jqm2.pl

Editing an existing product

Give the barcode

code=072417136160

Select the Front picture

- imgupload_front : your image file if imagefield:front

Select the Ingredients picture

- imgupload_ingredients: your image file if imagefield:ingredients

Select the Nutrition Facts picture

- imgupload_nutrition: your image file if imagefield:nutrition

Add the brand

Add the name

product_name=Maryland%20Choc%20Chip

Add the quantity

quantity=230g

Add the packager code

Add the packaging type

Add the labels

labels=Vegan%2C%20Fat%20free

Add the Stores where bought

stores=Intermarch%C3%A9

Add the category

Add the best before date

Add the ingredients

ingredients_text=Fortified%20wheat%20flour%2C%20Chocolate%20chips%20%2825%25%29%2C%20Sugar%2C%20Palm%20oil%2C%20Golden%20syrup%2C%20Whey%20and%20whey%20derivatives%20%28Milk%29%2C%20Raising%20agents%2C%20Salt%2C%20Flavouring

Add ingredient traces

traces=Milk%2C+Soya%2C+Nuts%2C+Wheat

Add the nutrition facts

nutriment_energy=450

nutriment_energy_unit=kJ

nutrition_data_per=serving

Adding a comment to your edit

&comment=Automated%20Edit

Open Beauty Facts experimental and specific APIs

Ingredients

Very experimental. Do not rely on this for allergen or ingredient parsing yet.

List of ingredients detected by the current experimental parser

Products where the current experimental parser could not detect aluminium salts

Products where the current experimental parser could detect aluminium salts

Period after Opening

List of products with a given Period after Opening

Roadmap

API/Roadmap

Language Bindings

Ruby bindings - https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-ruby - gem install openfoodfacts
Python bindings

API