Product Opener API
Complete API documentation for Product Opener - the core web server and database system powering Open Food Facts
The Product Opener API provides programmatic access to the core web server and database system that powers Open Food Facts and its sibling projects (Open Beauty Facts, Open Pet Food Facts, and Open Products Facts). This comprehensive API enables developers to interact with the world's largest open food database.
Product Opener is the heart of the Open Food Facts ecosystem, managing product data, user contributions, and powering the main web interface that millions of users interact with daily.
Authentication
Most read operations are publicly accessible. For write operations and user-specific data, you'll need to authenticate using the Open Food Facts authentication system.
API Versions
The Product Opener API is available in multiple versions:
API v2 (Legacy)
The original API version that provides backward compatibility and basic product data access.
API v3 (Current)
The latest API version with enhanced features, better performance, and comprehensive data access.
Key Features
Product Database
Access and manage the world's largest open food database with over 3 million products
Product Management
Create, update, and manage product data with comprehensive API endpoints
Image Processing
Upload, process, and manage product images with OCR capabilities
Taxonomy & Validation
Access taxonomy suggestions and validate product data with standardized categories
Core Capabilities
The Product Opener API enables you to:
Retrieve comprehensive product information including ingredients, nutritional data, labels, and categories
Add new products, update existing information, and upload product images
Search products by various criteria including barcode, name, brand, categories, and nutritional values
Access aggregated data for research, analysis, and application development
Supported Projects
Product Opener powers multiple Open *Facts projects:
- Open Food Facts: The main food product database
- Open Beauty Facts: Cosmetics and personal care products
- Open Pet Food Facts: Pet food and care products
- Open Products Facts: General consumer products
Data Standards
Product Opener follows open data standards and provides:
- Open Data: All data is freely available under the Open Database License
- Standardized Categories: Uses standardized taxonomies for ingredients, labels, and categories
- Multilingual Support: Product data available in multiple languages
- Rich Metadata: Comprehensive product information including environmental impact
Getting Started
To begin using the Product Opener API:
- Explore the API: Start with read-only operations to understand the data structure
- Authentication: Set up authentication for write operations
- Choose API Version: Select between v2 (legacy) or v3 (recommended) based on your needs
- Integration: Integrate the API into your application or research project
Rate limiting is applied to prevent abuse. For high-volume applications, consider implementing caching and following API best practices.