> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dataerai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import from FoodData Central

> Search USDA FoodData Central (FDC) for foods and import them into a project as metadata-first assets — without copying any bytes. Each food's Download fetches its record directly from the FDC API.

Dataerai can pull foods from USDA's [FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/) (FDC) — the U.S. Department of Agriculture's public nutrition data system covering Branded packaged foods, Foundation and SR Legacy reference foods, and Survey (FNDDS) items — into one of your projects as **metadata-first assets**. The food's metadata — description, data type, food category, brand owner, publication date — is copied into Dataerai so it's searchable and shareable alongside your own data. The **food record is not copied into your storage**: clicking **Download** on an imported asset fetches a compact JSON record straight from the FoodData Central API.

<Note>
  Imported assets are [metadata-first](/data/metadata-first-assets): they describe and link to data that lives on FoodData Central. Nothing is stored in your Dataerai allocation, so importing doesn't consume your quota.
</Note>

One FDC **food** (a numeric `fdcId`, e.g. `2057648`) imports as **one asset**. A food in FDC is a single nutrition *record* — there are no files to download. The record itself is the data, so the asset's **Download** fetches an abridged JSON record directly from the anonymous FoodData Central API (`https://api.nal.usda.gov/fdc/v1/food/<fdcId>`), including core fields such as description, brand owner, publication date, and nutrient values.

## Search FoodData Central

Open the **Import from FoodData Central** page and enter a search term, then **Search**.

* The search is free text and matches food descriptions — try `cheddar`, `almond milk`, or a brand name.
* Results show **Title**, **Type**, and **Files**, with the FDC id and publication date under each title. The type is the food's FDC data type (`Branded`, `Foundation`, `SR Legacy`, or `Survey (FNDDS)`).
* Use **Per page** to trade clicks for a longer page; the page count reflects the full result set.

## Select and import

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select foods">
    Tick the foods you want — click a row, or press Space or Enter on it, to toggle its checkbox. The header checkbox selects or clears everything on the current page; your selection is kept as you page through results.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the destination project">
    Paste the UUID of the project that should own the new assets into the **Import into project** field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import">
    Click **Import**. A single **Import result** panel summarizes how many foods were imported (and assets created), plus any that failed and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **Download** fetches the food's record directly from the FoodData Central API over HTTPS — there is no file bundle to stream. The public download link is rate-limited by USDA (per-IP); if you hit the limit, it works again once the limit refreshes.
</Note>

<Warning>
  Because imported assets point at FoodData Central rather than your own storage, their records are only available while the FDC food is. If you need a durable copy under your control, download the record and [upload it](/data/upload) as a regular asset instead.
</Warning>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Metadata-first assets" icon="file-plus" href="/data/metadata-first-assets">
    How assets that describe data elsewhere work in Dataerai.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import from Zenodo" icon="download" href="/data/import-zenodo">
    Pull public records from Zenodo the same metadata-first way.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Organize into collections" icon="folder-tree" href="/organize/collections">
    Group imported foods alongside your own data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search & discover" icon="search" href="/discover/search">
    Find imported foods by title, type, and metadata.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>