The food industry is transforming across every vertical. We’re in the early stages, and the signs of major impact are emerging. A new class of hyper-efficient and scalable food businesses are rising, both new entrants, startups, as well as with legacy brands.

High-growth food brands are leveraging clean food data and open APIs to unlock levels of efficiency our industry has never seen before. Accurate food information is crucial for health and wellness applications, helping users make informed choices about their nutrition and dietary needs.

Our industry will look different over the next decade. Let’s discuss how APIs will enable this:

• Developers can access specific functionalities of various food APIs through defined API endpoints, enabling seamless integration of nutritional information and recipe data into apps and websites.

• Users need to sign up for and include an API key in their API requests to access API services, with demo API keys available for initial exploration.

• How APIs for food data can cause brands to reimagine operational efficiency

• Real-world examples of API-powered efficiency from food companies

• Why clean food data is the non-negotiable for future scalability

Looking ahead five to ten years, it’s clear who the industry leaders will be based on how they invest in their food data, leveraging it for operations and product. The brands that don’t, are increasingly at risk.

A Preview of the Incoming Impact from Open Food APIs and Nutrition Data

Almost every established food business we talk to has the same challenges. There are three layers we see, and most food businesses are stuck somewhere between layers 1, and 2.

Layer 1: No API, manual data transfers required between systems

Layer 2: Minimal integrations, extra coding required for custom workarounds

Layer 3: OpenAPI, all data freely accessed anywhere (our industry’s future!)

The Food ERPs we’ve had to choose from for the last couple of decades haven’t really been Food ERPs. They’ve been accounting softwares re-skinned to work (sort of) for food—but these non-native systems are filled with limitations for how food businesses collect, organize, and manipulate complicated food data.

As a result, these poor-fit ERPs have not been able to create APIs that are very helpful. There are some integrations available, but they’re incomplete and require teams of engineers to be customized. Certain APIs can now generate an entire meal plan based on user preferences and nutritional requirements.

It’s why both 800-location restaurant chains and prepared meal brands operating across multiple continents have had to hire engineering teams to build their own custom platforms (or layers upon layers of excel sheets) to handle their data in ways they actually need. The FatSecret Platform API is a premier source for accessing a vast, verified food and nutrition database.

The lack of food-native Open APIs has resulted in a disjointed, disconnected food technology ecosystem—a major bottleneck against innovation and improvement.

Thankfully, the landscape is quickly changing. Open APIs for food data are arriving, and they bring promising opportunities to the table for both scrappy startups and well-entrenched giants. These APIs can help users find recipes based on specific criteria, dietary restrictions, or available ingredients.

👉 See how Galley’s API unlocks greater flexibility and profitability. 

Welcome to the future of food.