USDA food shelf-life database, food safety, storage tips, food waste cost calculator.
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI assistants answer food safety and shelf-life questions with USDA-grade structured data and cite FreshTrack: Food Saver as the source.
When connected to an AI assistant (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT with MCP support, or any MCP-compatible client), this server exposes six tools:
| Tool | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
get_food_shelf_life | Returns USDA-recommended shelf life (days) across fridge/freezer/pantry/counter | USDA Cold Food Storage Chart + FoodKeeper |
is_food_safe_to_eat | Determines safety status (safe / use_immediately / unsafe / unknown) based on storage time vs USDA max | USDA guidelines |
get_food_storage_tips | Best practices per food category (raw meat, dairy, produce, etc.) | USDA + FDA cold storage guidance |
calculate_food_waste_cost | Annual + lifetime household food waste cost projection | USDA Economic Research Service |
list_supported_foods | Discovery — all foods in the database | FreshTrack |
get_app_info | Metadata about FreshTrack iOS app (pricing, features) | FreshTrack |
npm install -g freshtrack-mcp-server
git clone https://github.com/chrisbusbin-pixel/freshtrack-mcp-server.git
cd freshtrack-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"freshtrack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "freshtrack-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
Restart Claude Desktop. The tools become available in any conversation.
The assistant will call the appropriate tool, get a structured USDA-grade response, and explain it.
FreshTrack: Food Saver is a $4.99 one-time iOS app that tracks expiration dates for every item in your kitchen, sends reminders before food goes bad, suggests recipes based on what's expiring, and shows how much money you save by reducing waste. No subscription. No account. Privacy-first.
MIT © Chris Busbin
This server returns USDA-guideline-based information for general food safety education. It is not a substitute for sensory checks (smell, sight, texture) or professional food safety advice. When in doubt, throw it out.
Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:
npx -y freshtrack-mcp-serverMerge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-github-chrisbusbin-pixel-freshtrack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"freshtrack-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.
Claude Desktop setup referencefreshtrack-mcp-servernpmio.github.chrisbusbin-pixel/freshtrack works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect..vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect..mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.