How do I find my ReciPal API Key?

Log in to your [**ReciPal account**](https://recipal.com/), navigate to your account settings, and you will find your API Key in the integrations or developer section. Copy and paste it below.

Can the agent show serving sizes?

Yes. Every recipe record retrieved by your agent includes serving size metadata and the number of servings per recipe.

Does it support ingredient lists?

Yes. The `get_recipe_details` tool retrieves the full list of ingredients used in a specific recipe, along with their weights.

ReciPal MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 4 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: ReciPal
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 4 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install ReciPal and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "recipal": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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IAMAccess control

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DLPData protection

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Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About ReciPal MCP Server

Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire food manufacturing and recipe auditing workflow with ReciPal, the specialized source for nutritional labeling data. By connecting ReciPal to your agent, you transform complex ingredient analysis into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly retrieve recipe details, audit calorie counts, and query ingredient lists without you ever touching a labeling portal. Whether you are conducting product research or managing regional dietary constraints, your agent acts as a real-time nutritional consultant, ensuring your data is always verified and precise.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings ReciPal data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 4 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Recipe Auditing — Retrieve high-resolution details for all recipes in your catalog, including names, calorie counts, and serving metadata.
Ingredient Oversight — Audit the available ingredients in the ReciPal database to understand the thematic distribution of components instantly.
Nutritional Intelligence — Query full nutritional breakdowns for specific recipes to assist in deep-dive dietary classification.
Resource Discovery — Retrieve unique recipe identifiers to help you identify relevant markers for your food products.
Operational Monitoring — Check API status to ensure your nutritional research workflow is always operational.

The ReciPal MCP Server exposes 4 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect ReciPal to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the ReciPal MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using ReciPal

Ask Copilot: "Using ReciPal, help me...". 4 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the ReciPal MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with ReciPal through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

ReciPal + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the ReciPal MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

ReciPal MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (4)

These 4 tools become available when you connect ReciPal to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

check_api_status

Check if the ReciPal service is operational

get_recipe_details

Get full nutritional and ingredient details for a specific recipe by ID

list_recipal_ingredients

List all ingredients available in the ReciPal database

list_recipal_recipes

List all recipes in your ReciPal account

Example Prompts for ReciPal in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with ReciPal immediately.

"List all my recipes using ReciPal."

"What are the details for recipe ID '12345'?"

"List all ingredients available in ReciPal."

Troubleshooting ReciPal MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting ReciPal to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

ReciPal + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating ReciPal MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.