mcp-plu-upc

MCP server for looking up product information by UPC, EAN, GTIN barcodes and PLU produce codes.

Problem

Quick product lookups from barcodes — name, brand, nutrition, ingredients, packaging, origin, eco-score — without opening a browser or app. Use it from any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.) via a lookup_upc tool call.

What It Does

Three MCP tools backed by the Open Food Facts database (4M+ products, free, no API key):

Tool	Description
lookup_upc	Look up a product by UPC/EAN/GTIN barcode (8-14 digits)
lookup_plu	Look up produce by PLU code (4-5 digits, e.g. 4011=banana)
search_product	Search products by name/brand (1-10 results)

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/indigokarasu/mcp-plu-upc.git
cd mcp-plu-upc
node server.js
# Server starts on http://localhost:8789

Set PORT env var to change the port.

Deploy on Your Own Server

Systemd (recommended for always-on)

sudo cp upc-mcp.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable upc-mcp
sudo systemctl start upc-mcp

Edit the WorkingDirectory and ExecStart paths in upc-mcp.service to match your install location.

On Cloudflare Workers

The src/ directory contains the Cloudflare Workers version with KV caching. Deploy with:

npx wrangler deploy

Note: Cloudflare Workers currently cannot reach the OpenFood Facts API due to CF-to-CF SSL handshake failures (HTTP 525). Use the Node.js version for reliable data access.

Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/health	GET	Health check — returns {status: "ok"}
/mcp	POST	JSON-RPC MCP protocol
/	GET	Info page (tool list)

MCP Protocol

Initialize

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","capabilities":{}},"id":1}

List Tools

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/list","id":2}

Call Tool

curl -X POST http://localhost:8789/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"lookup_upc","arguments":{"barcode":"3017620422003"}},"id":3}'

Example Response

{
  "content": [{
    "type": "text",
    "text": "## Nutella\nBarcode: 3017620422003\nBrand: Nutella\nCategory: Petit-déjeuners > Produits à tartiner\nEco-Score: UNKNOWN\nProcessing: NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food\nPer 100g: 539 kcal, 6.3g protein, 57.5g carbs, 30.9g fat"
  }]
}

Claude Desktop Integration

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upc-plu-lookup": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "http://YOUR_SERVER:8789/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Or for local use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upc-plu-lookup": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-plu-upc/server.js"]
    }
  }
}

Platform Notes

Platform	Status	Notes
Node.js (local/VPS)	Works	Recommended deployment
Cloudflare Workers	Partial	MCP protocol works; OFF API returns 525 (CF-to-CF SSL)
Fly.io	Works	~$2/mo minimum (no free tier)
Render	Works	Free tier available (sleeps after 15min)

Project Structure

.
├── server.js           # Standalone Node.js MCP server
├── package.json
├── upc-mcp.service     # Systemd service file
├── src/index.ts        # Cloudflare Workers version (with KV caching)
├── wrangler.toml        # Workers config
└── README.md

License

MIT