U.S. Food and Drug Administration
What it is
FDA regulates food, drugs, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and medical devices. openFDA provides enforcement (recall) data from 2004-present via free JSON API.
What it covers
Food, drug, device, and cosmetic enforcement data updated weekly. Color additive status list critical for food-dye vertical. FDA does NOT require pre-market safety approval for cosmetics.
How to verify
Query https://api.fda.gov with a free API key. Color additive status at https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additive-inventories/color-additive-status-list.
How SafeMama uses it
Ingest recall data via openFDA. Date and attribute every claim; always link to the official recall notice. Carry FDA disclaimer.
Limitations / conflicts
FDA does NOT update recall status post-classification. openFDA not validated for medical decisions. Cosmetics have fewer proactive FDA rulings than drugs.
Verify it yourself
Don't take our word for it — check the source directly. Certifications lapse and data changes; the official database is always the current answer.
Worth knowing
- Do not rely on openFDA data for medical decisions