Install FDA Recall Alerts — Food & Product Safety (fdarecall) in VS Code

What you need first

• VS Code, installed.
• Nothing else: the server runs on its publisher's machines and VS Code connects to it.

Steps

1. In your project, create .vscode/mcp.json, or open it. For every project, run MCP: Open User Configuration from the Command Palette instead.
2. Add this block. If the file already has servers, add only the entry inside it.

{
  "servers": {
    "data-fda-recall-alert-food-product-safety": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://a2awire.com/mcp/data/fdarecall-fda-recall-enforcement-database-food-drug-device-80d7f6/http"
    }
  }
}

3. Save the file and choose Start above the server's entry, or run MCP: List Servers. Its tools appear in Copilot Chat's agent mode.

Check it worked

Ask VS Code: List the tools of data-fda-recall-alert-food-product-safety.

If it does not start

401 Unauthorized

The endpoint wants a sign-in or a key. Sign in when VS Code asks.

Nothing changes after a restart

The file is not valid JSON any more. Look for a missing comma where the block was added.