# Cyanheads Usda MCP server

Source: https://glimind.com/server/mcp-registry%2Fio.github.cyanheads%2Fusda-mcp-server
Registry id: `mcp-registry/io.github.cyanheads/usda-mcp-server`
Status: live (checked 2026-10-27T02:44:56.759Z)

## Verdict

Cyanheads Usda MCP server answered 99.77% of Glimind's liveness checks over 30 days, better than 23% of MCP servers, with 914 ms median handshake and 13 outages in 90 days. Its agent-readiness grade is A (99/100) across 5 tools, costing an agent about 2,234 tokens to load. Checked every few minutes; no tool is ever called.

## Measurements (30 days)

| Metric | Value | Better than |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime, 30 days | 99.77% | 23% of MCP servers |
| Median handshake latency | 914 ms | 24% of MCP servers |
| p95 handshake latency | 3360 ms | — |
| Checks in 30 days | 4,952 | — |
| Outages, 90 days | 13 | — |
| Median recovery | 9 min | — |
| Agent-readiness score | 99/100 (A) | 93% of MCP servers |
| Tools | 5 | — |
| Tool-list size for an agent | ~2,234 tokens | 50% of MCP servers |
| Days observed | 29 | — |

## Install

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-usda-mcp-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://usda.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

Claude Code:

```sh
claude mcp add --transport http cyanheads-usda-mcp-server https://usda.caseyjhand.com/mcp
```

## Tools (5)

- `usda_compare_foods`: Compare nutrients side-by-side for 2–5 foods. Returns a structured table — one row per nutrient, one column per food — formatted as markdown. Best for "spinach 
- `usda_get_food`: Get the full nutrient profile for one food by FDC ID. Returns all available nutrients (or a filtered subset via the nutrients[] param) with optional per-portion
- `usda_get_foods`: Fetch nutrient profiles for 2–20 foods in a single API call. More efficient than calling usda_get_food N times when you already have multiple FDC IDs. All value
- `usda_list_nutrients`: Look up the FDC nutrient reference table — all tracked nutrients with their numeric IDs, names, SR reference numbers, units, and categories. Use to resolve a nu
- `usda_search_foods`: Search USDA FoodData Central foods by keyword. Returns matching foods with FDC IDs and available preview nutrients: protein (1003), fat (1004), carbohydrate (10

Measured by Glimind (https://glimind.com): MCP handshake + tool list only, no tool is ever called. CC BY 4.0.