foodZipper works with raw DNA data files from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage. You've already paid for the test — your raw data file is sitting in your account right now. You just need to download it. It also reads VCF files from whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing, which work a little differently — see below.
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AncestryDNA is the most common test — if you've done a DNA test in the last few years, there's a good chance it was this one.
If you have DNA results for multiple family members on the same Ancestry account, you'll need to download each one separately. The files all have the same filename, so rename each one right after downloading so you know whose is whose.
AncestryDNA tests are available at ancestry.com/dna. You'll get results in 2–4 weeks. Then come back here and download your raw data.
23andMe has been through bankruptcy proceedings. As of early 2026, you can still download your raw data — but this could change at any time. If you have a 23andMe account, download your file now while you still can.
You can also go directly to the download page: sign in, then visit Account Settings → 23andMe Data → View → Download. You may be asked to verify your identity with your date of birth.
MyHeritage raw data downloads must be done from a computer or Android device — they cannot be downloaded from an iPhone or iPad.
Only the manager of the DNA kit can download the raw data file — not the person assigned to the kit. If someone else manages your kit, they'll need to do the download for you.
If you've had whole-exome (WES) or whole-genome (WGS) sequencing — through a doctor, a hospital, or a consumer sequencing company — foodZipper reads the VCF file (.vcf or .vcf.gz) directly. There's no dashboard to download it from, so how you get it depends on who did the sequencing.
A VCF will usually cover fewer markers than a chip file — and that's normal, not a failure. A VCF lists only the variants the sequencing actually found. Anywhere your DNA matches the reference genome, there is no line in the file at all. foodZipper reports those positions as not assessed rather than assuming they're normal, because a missing line means the file didn't say — not that the result was clean. So a sequencing file can produce a shorter report than a $40 chip test, even though it cost far more.
If your sequencing was ordered as a family or trio — common for diagnostic testing — the file may contain more than one person's genome in a single file. foodZipper will stop and ask you to choose whose results to read rather than guessing.
Your file will be sitting in your downloads folder — a .zip or .txt from a chip test, or a .vcf or .vcf.gz from sequencing. That's all you need.
Come back to foodZipper and upload it. Processing takes about 10 seconds. Your file never leaves your device — everything happens in your browser.
Save a copy of your raw DNA file somewhere safe — an external drive, a secure folder. If the testing company ever changes their policies or shuts down, you'll still have your data.