FatSecret, a social network focused on nutrition and weight loss that we covered back in 2007, is launching a new API tonight that allows third party sites and services to tap into its database of nutritional data, excercise information, and other health stats. You can access the new FatSecret Platform here.
CEO Rodney Moses says that FatSecret is allowing developers to access the API for free, in the hopes of turning FatSecret into the reliable and accurate resource for nutritional information. He points out the fact that while there are plenty of diet sites on the web that contain nutrition info for various foods, much of the data is disjointed — there’s no established comprehensive source that people turn to first. FatSecret hopes to become the authoritative hub for this kind of information. The site has gathered its data from a number of publicly available resources like the USDA, and also has many user-submitted entries from users on its social network. Moses says that all of the data has been curated to ensure accuracy.
The other component to the new API is a brand utility, which invites food and beverage brand owners to submit their nutrition facts into the system so that they can be retrieved using the FatSecret API.
Moses says that the site itself is still growing steadily, with half a million monthly visitors and around double that number when including users who access the site through other means, like its mobile applications.
Very nice, can see this being very useful to a lot of developers. Welcome to the open web.
(shakes fist at apple)
This space is a mess definitely needs some order.
APIs are the future and this will be in the mix.
Hopefully all this data will make up for sitting all day by the computer getting fat.
Seriously now. Excellent idea!
We actually just published an article about marketing and mentioned FatSecret (with a link here) in it.
I am surprised that Google hasn’t got its tentacles into this subject matter, or have they somewhere?
Good news for all the API users
oh wow, this data is what I was looking for last year for a project, maybe I will restart it now they have an API. Awesome!
Sounds too good to be true, it is a great development by the fact that it is from Australia.
http://www.youtechno.info
Will Rodney promise to keep the API free in its current form forever?
This looks like the old bait and switch strategy. Get developers to depend on your tools under the guise of “free”, then start charging once you have a critical mass of apps depending on your data.
I find http://www.nutritiondata.com to be just as comphrehensive as fatsecret – if not more. Plus, the site is American and data is from USDA and and is supplemented by listings provided by restaurants and food manufacturers.
What about fatsecret?…
We at FoodEssentials also offer an API for this kind of data but also includes ingredient, allergen, additive and nutrient data.
It is the most comprehensive database in existence – not the largest just yet but we’re addressing that.
There are presently several apps being developed upon our API and we’re always open to working with new developers.
check us out at http://foodessentials.com and let us know your ideas.
Hmm, I see absolutely nothing with regard to an API on this site. Where is it?
There is a Weekly Nutrition Requirements Calculator challenge on our site ChallengePost (currently $85 pledged) that someone might be able to solve using their API. Check it out: http://www.chal...ents-calculator
Even though the company is Australian, the site seems to be targeted towards (fat) Americans. All information on the site is in English units (Lbs, mph, etc).
Its a great site if your tring to lose weight. They even have an App for Android Phones so you can keep track of what you eat on the go.
http://www.cyrk...tsecret.android
Seems like they beat us to the announcement:-) DailyBurn (http://dailyburn.com) is beta testing our API now…
he’s clearly never been to http://www.nutritiondata.com, which is one of the best sites for ingredients analysis there is (and I have NO affiliation to the site in any way shape or form)
Will be great for the U.S market…..
Can’t find any other API for this type of data so it might be useful rather than building it from scratch again.
Also if the information came directly from the makers of the products that would be gold as to have nutrition information dotted all over the internet is so disorganized and unhelpful. Common standards should be demanded by consumers.