# USDA FoodKeeper

> Food storage guidelines to reduce waste and maintain quality. (iPhone/iPad app by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usda-foodkeeper/id978186100 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service](https://appshunter.io/developer/439084578)
- Category: Food & Drink, Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.30/5 from 103 App Store ratings · 101 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 149 MB
- Released: 2015-04-01
- Data updated: 2026-07-27
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usda-foodkeeper/id978186100/reviews.md

## What is USDA FoodKeeper?

The FoodKeeper can help consumers use food while at peak quality and reduce waste. The storage times listed are intended as useful guidelines and are not hard-and-fast rules. Some foods may deteriorate more quickly while others may last longer than the times suggested. The times will vary depending on the growing conditions, harvesting techniques, manufacturing processes, transportation and distribution conditions, nature of the food, and storage temperatures. Remember to buy foods in reasonable quantities and rotate the products in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.  
 
Every year, billions of pounds of good food go to waste in the U.S. because consumers are not sure of its quality or safety. Food waste from households represents about 44% of all food waste generated in the U.S.  By reducing food waste through buying appropriate quantities, storing foods properly, cooking what is needed and composting, consumers can save money and reduce the amount of food going to landfills.

## Key features

- Food storage time guidelines
- Reduce food waste
- Maintain food quality
- Storage temperature advice
- Smart purchasing tips

## What do users think of USDA FoodKeeper?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 📚 Comprehensive food storage information
- ♻️ Helps reduce food waste
- 💰 Saves money on groceries
- 🏥 Useful for healthcare professionals
- 🔍 Searchable food database
- 📱 Accessible for blind users with VoiceOver
- ⚡ Works well on some devices (iPad 2, older iOS)

**Cons**

- 🚫 App completely non-functional for majority of users
- 🔌 No database connection to USDA
- ❌ Search function returns no results
- 🔒 Stuck on notification preference screen
- 📵 Blank/empty app interface
- 📱 Poor iPhone compatibility and formatting
- 🌙 Not dark mode compatible
- ♿ Not accessible for blind users
- 🐢 Slow performance and freezing
- 🔄 Broken after iOS updates
- 🗣️ Language switching issues
- 📞 No customer support or feedback mechanism
- 🎨 Unprofessional UI design
- 🔤 Text formatting and display issues

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App freezes on notification preference screen
- Search function completely non-functional
- Categories section missing or blank
- App crashes on startup
- Database disconnection from USDA
- Text formatting broken on iPhone
- App hangs on latest iOS versions
- Incompatible with iOS 18.3.2
- Cannot navigate past initial screens
- Menu options are broken/blank
- App unresponsive to user input
- Crashes when switching between tabs
- Display issues with text overlapping
- Cooking times showing as zero
- Language settings not working properly
- Clear history button non-functional
- Food recalls not updating
- App performance degradation after recent updates

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode support
- Accessibility improvements for blind users
- Proper tab labeling for screen readers
- Temperature and humidity storage guidelines for vegetables
- Raw vs. cooked meat storage differentiation
- Barcode scanning for cryptic expiration codes
- Visual guides for identifying fresh produce
- Farmers market information
- Celsius temperature option
- Internal inventory calendar feature
- Food recall notification system improvements
- Ability to delete viewed recall items
- Ethylene gas information for produce storage
- Danger level indicators for expired foods
- Poison control hotline link
- Better Facebook sharing functionality

## Recent user reviews (10 of 101)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usda-foodkeeper/id978186100/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Whatzupwiththis?

*2025-12-18, version 9.0.0*

Usta work. Not anymore.

### 1/5 — Not working, used to be very helpful

*2025-11-28, version 9.0.0*

Though the categories could be confusing, and the app did not have information for quite a few lesser-common foods, it was a very good resource and way to double check. Now it is completely blank and i have tried to redownload to no avail, as it seems not to be connected to the corresponding database anymore. Should be fixed.

### 2/5 — App will not work.

*2025-10-10, version 9.0.0*

Can't get past the notification screen. Worthless!

### 1/5 — broken

*2025-09-24, version 9.0.0*

not working! Needs an update but with this administration, doubtful.

### 1/5 — App needs updating?

*2025-09-12, version 9.0.0*

not working

### 1/5 — Nothing works

*2025-08-27, version 9.0.0*

You can’t search anything to even start the process of using the app. Waste of time

### 1/5 — App is not working

*2025-08-20, version 9.0.0*

I had used the app often up until a few months ago it has stopped working. I have reached out to USDA with no response. It probably just needs updates.

### 2/5 — No data

*2025-08-20, version 9.0.0*

This app used to be useful, but it appears that it no longer connects to the USDA recommendations for food safety and storage.

### 2/5 — broken

*2025-08-20, version 9.0.0*

3 out of the 5 menu options are broken / blank. I really am hoping the devs fix this soon, I’d love to have the recommended Use By timelines for food I’m trying to figure out if it’s new enough to be donated to my local food pantry.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2025-08-19, version 9.0.0*

This app is completely blank and there doesn’t seem to be a way to contact anyone for help with this app.

## Frequently asked questions about USDA FoodKeeper

### What does the USDA FoodKeeper app do?

The app provides consumers with guidelines on how to store food items to maintain their quality and reduce waste. It offers estimated storage times for various foods, helping users understand when to consume them for optimal freshness.

### How does the app help reduce food waste?

By offering clear storage recommendations and estimated shelf lives, the app empowers users to make informed decisions about when to use their food. This helps prevent food from spoiling prematurely due to improper storage, thereby reducing household food waste.

### Are the storage times in the app exact?

The storage times provided are intended as useful guidelines and not strict rules. Actual food deterioration can vary significantly based on factors like growing conditions, processing, transportation, and storage temperatures.

### Is the USDA FoodKeeper app free to use?

Yes, the USDA FoodKeeper app is completely free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements associated with the application.

### Who is the target audience for this app?

This app is designed for any consumer who wants to better manage their food, reduce waste, save money, and ensure they are using food at its peak quality. It's particularly useful for those who are unsure about how long certain foods will last.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.0.0 — 2023-10-20

Minor enhancements and bug fixes on calendar, education videos, information, and recall notifications.
Upgraded the application to be compatible with the latest version of iOS.

### 8.0.0 — 2020-09-23

Minor enhancements and bug fixes on calendar, education videos, information, and recall notifications.
Upgraded the application to be compatible with iOS 13.

### 7.0.1 — 2019-04-02

Minor bug fixes to calendar integration and recall notifications.
Upgraded the application to be compatible with iOS 12 and up.

### 7.0.0 — 2017-11-15

Search-Based Recall Notifications:
Get recall notifications specifically for items that you have recently viewed.  These notifications will be sent to you shortly after a recall notification is published.
Favorites:
Select products of interest and add them to your personalized favorites list. 
New Tips / Help Section:
New help section and tips to guide you through all of the FoodKeeper features

### 6.0.0 — 2017-08-24

Educational Videos:
A collection of educational videos that allows you to learn more about cooking and storing food.
Recalls:
A new section of food recalls, which that allows you to view, search and filter food products that have been recalled from the market.
Push Notification: 
Push notification notifies you about the latest food recalls on a daily/weekly basis.

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## More apps by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

- [USDA MPI Directory](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usda-mpi-directory/id791859888)

All apps by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: https://appshunter.io/developer/439084578

## Related topics

[usda foodkeeper](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usda-foodkeeper) · [usda food safety and inspection service](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usda-food-safety-and-inspection-service)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-27.*