USDA FoodKeeper is a free reference tool for U.S. consumers, providing storage guidelines for pantry and freezer items on iOS and Android.

The App DNA

What makes this app unique?

The tool serves to reduce household food waste by providing authoritative storage timelines, though current technical failures prevent users from accessing this data.

For U.S. consumers looking to reduce household food waste and manage food safety through proper storage practices.

What does it look like?

Key features

Food Storage Guidelinesstandard

Database of recommended storage times for pantry, refrigerator, and freezer items.

Recall Notificationsedge

Alerts regarding food safety recalls pushed to the user device.

How much does it cost?

freeEntirely free, no in-app purchases or subscription tiers

The app operates as a public service tool provided by the USDA with no monetization model.

Velocity

Dormant developmentopaqueShow more...

The app has entered a zombie state, with no releases recorded in the last 6 months. The most recent update occurred on October 30, 2025, and consisted only of minor bug fixes. There is no evidence of active development, feature expansion, or live operations. The development cadence has effectively ceased.

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Who built it?

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

1 app tracked · Food & Drink

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User Sentiment

What do users think recently?

Review voice lately leans upset. Users appreciate educational food safety content provides valuable guidance for home and professional kitchen management, but report search functionality and category navigation return zero results following the latest major update.

How are ratings & reviews evolving?

Google Play
3.19 · 259
App Store
2.25 · 110

What users say, by theme

What Users Love
  • Educational food safety content provides valuable guidance for home and professional kitchen management
What Frustrates Users
  • Search functionality and category navigation return zero results following the latest major update
+ 2 more themes
What Users Want 1 request inside

107 of 107 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Upset overall

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Unlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.

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Competition

Competitive landscape for USDA FoodKeeper

How's the Food & Drink market?

USDA FoodKeeper occupies a niche utility space in the Food & Drink category, currently ranking #93 Free in its primary category. The lack of updates since October 2025 has caused a significant performance gap compared to commercial recipe apps that maintain active feature development.

Read the market outlook

The rivals identified

Marmiton : recettes de cuisine

By auFeminin.com

Marmiton dominates the food category by providing a comprehensive ecosystem for recipe discovery and meal planning, directly competing for the user's time spent managing food-related activities.

  • Offers robust community-driven recipe sharing and social engagement features absent in the USDA utility app
  • Provides advanced utility tools like PDF recipe exports and weekly menu planners for power users
  • Maintains a high-frequency update cadence that keeps the user interface modern and highly responsive
USDA FoodKeeper vs Marmiton : recettes de cuisine

Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.

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The Analyst's Read

Key takeaways for USDA FoodKeeper

Where is it heading?

The outlook for USDA FoodKeeper is declining due to a lack of maintenance and broken core functionality. Unless the backend database connection is restored, the app will continue to lose its relevance as a trusted food safety resource in a market that increasingly demands interactive, high-utility cooking tools.

  • The lack of backend connectivity prevents search results from loading, which directly erodes the app's primary value proposition for users.
  • Frequent crashes during the initial setup screen prevent new users from entering the app, accelerating churn before they can access storage data.

The SWOT

Core Strengths
  • Authoritative USDA food safety data provides a trust-based barrier
Critical Frictions 2 weaknesses inside
Growth Levers
  • Cook-with-pantry tool would align with waste reduction mission
Market Threats 1 threat identified

Next best moves

1 Pivot · 1 Maintain

Restore backend database connectivity because search and navigation currently return blank screens → restore core utility

+ 1 more prioritized move

The counter-intuitive read

The app's lack of monetization is its greatest vulnerability…

Read the full take

Feature gaps

Cook With Pantry inventory suggestions (available in Anti Inflammatory: Diet Recipe but absent here) +1

Since the last report: The app has transitioned from a dormant state to a state of functional collapse, with confirmed search and navigation failures now driving a specific category rank of #93 Free. This decline in utility is further underscored by the emergence of AllergyCheck as a direct competitive threat to the app's safety-focused value proposition.

Bottom line

Restoring the backend database connection is the only way to salvage the app's utility, as the current state of technical failure prevents users from accessing the core storage guidelines. Addressing these stability issues would unlock the app's potential as a reliable public service tool.

Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.

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FAQ

Is USDA FoodKeeper still being updated?
The app has been in a maintenance-only state with no major feature updates in the last six months, and users report significant technical issues that remain unaddressed.
How does USDA FoodKeeper compare to recipe apps like Marmiton?
USDA FoodKeeper is a specialized utility focused on food storage and safety, whereas Marmiton is a comprehensive recipe discovery platform with community features and active development.
Is there a free alternative to USDA FoodKeeper for food storage?
While USDA FoodKeeper is free, users looking for alternatives should consider apps like AllergyCheck or recipe-focused tools that include pantry management features to help reduce food waste.

Sources

  1. [1] Play Store, source

Report last updated

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with automated quality gates, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by USDA FoodKeeper, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The app has transitioned from a dormant state to a state of functional collapse, with confirmed search and navigation failures now driving a specific category rank of #93 Free. This decline in utility is further underscored by the emergence of AllergyCheck as a direct competitive threat to the app's safety-focused value proposition.

shifted

Market visibility metrics

shifted

Competitive threat refinement

Editorial stance on monetization

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “USDA FoodKeeper Intelligence Report.” Updated Aug 15, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/usda-foodkeeper

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