diff --git a/frontend/src/components/FoodSearchInput.jsx b/frontend/src/components/FoodSearchInput.jsx
index 716c542..223260d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/FoodSearchInput.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/FoodSearchInput.jsx
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ export default function FoodSearchInput({ onFoodSelect, initialValue = '' }) {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const [showDropdown, setShowDropdown] = useState(false);
   const [quantity, setQuantity] = useState(1);
+  const [error, setError] = useState(null);
   const dropdownRef = useRef(null);
+  const requestIdRef = useRef(0);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handleClickOutside = (event) => {
@@ -35,33 +37,48 @@ export default function FoodSearchInput({ onFoodSelect, initialValue = '' }) {
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    setError(null);
     if (query.length < 2) {
+      requestIdRef.current += 1;
       setResults([]);
       setCustomFoods([]);
+      setLoading(false);
       return;
     }
 
+    const controller = new AbortController();
     const timer = setTimeout(async () => {
+      const requestId = ++requestIdRef.current;
+      const isStale = () => controller.signal.aborted || requestId !== requestIdRef.current;
       setLoading(true);
       try {
         const [dbResponse, customResponse] = await Promise.all([
-          api.get(`/search-food?query=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`),
+          api.get(`/search-food?query=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`, { signal: controller.signal }),
           searchCustomFoods(query)
         ]);
+        if (isStale()) return;
 
         setResults(dbResponse.data.foods || []);
         setCustomFoods(customResponse);
+        setError(null);
         setShowDropdown(true);
-      } catch (error) {
-        console.error('[FoodSearch] Search failed:', error);
+      } catch (err) {
+        const canceled = err?.name === 'CanceledError' || err?.code === 'ERR_CANCELED';
+        if (canceled || isStale()) return;
+        console.error('[FoodSearch] Search failed:', err);
         setResults([]);
         setCustomFoods([]);
+        setShowDropdown(false);
+        setError('Search unavailable, try again');
       } finally {
-        setLoading(false);
+        if (requestId === requestIdRef.current) setLoading(false);
       }
     }, 500);
 
-    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+    return () => {
+      clearTimeout(timer);
+      controller.abort();
+    };
   }, [query]);
 
   const searchCustomFoods = async (searchQuery) => {
@@ -111,6 +128,18 @@ export default function FoodSearchInput({ onFoodSelect, initialValue = '' }) {
     setQuantity(1);
   };
 
+  const handleAddManually = () => {
+    onFoodSelect({
+      name: query,
+      portion: `${quantity} serving`,
+      calories: 0,
+      protein_g: 0,
+      carbs_g: 0,
+      fat_g: 0,
+      fiber_g: 0,
+    });
+  };
+
   return (
     <div className="relative" ref={dropdownRef}>
       <div className="flex flex-col sm:flex-row gap-2">
@@ -204,24 +233,28 @@ export default function FoodSearchInput({ onFoodSelect, initialValue = '' }) {
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {showDropdown && !loading && results.length === 0 && customFoods.length === 0 && query.length >= 2 && (
+      {error && !loading && query.length >= 2 && (
+        <div role="alert" className="absolute top-full left-0 right-0 mt-1 bg-[#0a0a0a] border border-red-500/40  shadow-lg p-4 z-50">
+          <p className="text-center text-red-400 text-sm mb-3">
+            {error}
+          </p>
+          <button
+            onClick={handleAddManually}
+            className="w-full px-4 py-2 bg-primary-700 text-white  hover:bg-primary-600 text-sm font-medium flex items-center justify-center gap-2"
+          >
+            <Plus size={16} />
+            Add "{query}" manually
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {showDropdown && !error && !loading && results.length === 0 && customFoods.length === 0 && query.length >= 2 && (
         <div className="absolute top-full left-0 right-0 mt-1 bg-[#0a0a0a] border border-white/10  shadow-lg p-4 z-50">
           <p className="text-center text-white/50 text-sm mb-3">
             No foods found. Try a different search term or add manually:
           </p>
           <button
-            onClick={() => {
-              const manualFood = {
-                name: query,
-                portion: `${quantity} serving`,
-                calories: 0,
-                protein_g: 0,
-                carbs_g: 0,
-                fat_g: 0,
-                fiber_g: 0,
-              };
-              onFoodSelect(manualFood);
-            }}
+            onClick={handleAddManually}
             className="w-full px-4 py-2 bg-primary-700 text-white  hover:bg-primary-600 text-sm font-medium flex items-center justify-center gap-2"
           >
             <Plus size={16} />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/__tests__/FoodSearchInput.test.jsx b/frontend/src/components/__tests__/FoodSearchInput.test.jsx
index 02263d3..2158fc9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/__tests__/FoodSearchInput.test.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/__tests__/FoodSearchInput.test.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
-import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { render, screen, fireEvent, waitFor, act } from '@testing-library/react';
 import FoodSearchInput from '../FoodSearchInput';
 
 // Mock api service
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ describe('FoodSearchInput Component', () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
   });
 
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
   it('renders search input', () => {
     render(<FoodSearchInput onFoodSelect={mockOnSelect} />);
 
@@ -138,4 +142,91 @@ describe('FoodSearchInput Component', () => {
     const searchInput = screen.getByPlaceholderText(/search/i);
     expect(searchInput.value).toBe('chicken');
   });
+
+  describe('search error + stale responses', () => {
+    const food = (name) => ({
+      name, portion: '100g', calories: 100, protein_g: 1, carbs_g: 1, fat_g: 1, fiber_g: 0,
+    });
+
+    it('shows error state (not "No foods found") when backend fails', async () => {
+      const err = new Error('Request failed with status code 503');
+      api.get.mockRejectedValue(err);
+      const errSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+      render(<FoodSearchInput onFoodSelect={mockOnSelect} />);
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText(/search/i), { target: { value: 'chicken' } });
+
+      expect(await screen.findByText(/search unavailable, try again/i, {}, { timeout: 3000 })).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText(/no foods found/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /add "chicken" manually/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+      errSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+
+    it('shows "No foods found" only on successful empty response', async () => {
+      api.get.mockResolvedValue({ data: { foods: [] } });
+
+      render(<FoodSearchInput onFoodSelect={mockOnSelect} />);
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText(/search/i), { target: { value: 'zzzz' } });
+
+      expect(await screen.findByText(/no foods found/i, {}, { timeout: 3000 })).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText(/search unavailable/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    it('ignores stale responses and passes an AbortSignal', async () => {
+      const deferred = {};
+      api.get.mockImplementation((url) => {
+        const q = new URL(url, 'http://x').searchParams.get('query');
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+          deferred[q] = { resolve, reject };
+        });
+      });
+
+      render(<FoodSearchInput onFoodSelect={mockOnSelect} />);
+      const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText(/search/i);
+
+      // slow request for 'chi'
+      fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'chi' } });
+      await waitFor(() => expect(deferred.chi).toBeDefined(), { timeout: 3000 });
+
+      // fast request for 'chicken'
+      fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'chicken' } });
+      await waitFor(() => expect(deferred.chicken).toBeDefined(), { timeout: 3000 });
+
+      await act(async () => {
+        deferred.chicken.resolve({ data: { foods: [food('Chicken Breast')] } });
+      });
+      expect(await screen.findByText('Chicken Breast')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+      // slow one resolves last, must be ignored
+      await act(async () => {
+        deferred.chi.resolve({ data: { foods: [food('Chia Seeds')] } });
+      });
+      await act(async () => {
+        await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+      });
+
+      expect(screen.queryByText('Chia Seeds')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByText('Chicken Breast')).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText(/searching/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(api.get).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.stringContaining('query=chi'),
+        expect.objectContaining({ signal: expect.any(AbortSignal) }),
+      );
+      expect(api.get.mock.calls[0][1].signal.aborted).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('does not show error when a request is canceled', async () => {
+      const cancel = Object.assign(new Error('canceled'), { name: 'CanceledError', code: 'ERR_CANCELED' });
+      api.get.mockRejectedValue(cancel);
+
+      render(<FoodSearchInput onFoodSelect={mockOnSelect} />);
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText(/search/i), { target: { value: 'chicken' } });
+
+      await waitFor(() => expect(api.get).toHaveBeenCalled(), { timeout: 3000 });
+      await act(async () => {
+        await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+      });
+      expect(screen.queryByText(/search unavailable/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/supabase/functions/food-details/index.ts b/supabase/functions/food-details/index.ts
index b9aa3f7..6f7b7e1 100644
--- a/supabase/functions/food-details/index.ts
+++ b/supabase/functions/food-details/index.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ Deno.serve(async (req) => {
       return jsonResponse({ detail: "food_id must be provided as a path segment" }, { status: 422 }, origin);
     }
 
-    const usdaApiKey = Deno.env.get("USDA_API_KEY") ?? "DEMO_KEY";
+    const envKey = Deno.env.get("USDA_API_KEY");
+    if (!envKey) console.warn("[FOOD DETAILS] USDA_API_KEY not set, falling back to DEMO_KEY (heavily rate-limited)");
+    const usdaApiKey = envKey ?? "DEMO_KEY";
 
     const controller = new AbortController();
     const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 10_000);
@@ -34,6 +36,10 @@ Deno.serve(async (req) => {
       clearTimeout(timeoutId);
     }
 
+    if (usdaRes.status === 429) {
+      return jsonResponse({ detail: "Food database rate-limited, try again shortly" }, { status: 503 }, origin);
+    }
+
     if (!usdaRes.ok) {
       return jsonResponse({ detail: "Food database unavailable" }, { status: 500 }, origin);
     }
diff --git a/supabase/functions/search-food/index.ts b/supabase/functions/search-food/index.ts
index c95510b..1a9680a 100644
--- a/supabase/functions/search-food/index.ts
+++ b/supabase/functions/search-food/index.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ Deno.serve(async (req) => {
       return jsonResponse({ foods: [] }, { status: 200 }, origin);
     }
 
-    const usdaApiKey = Deno.env.get("USDA_API_KEY") ?? "DEMO_KEY";
+    const envKey = Deno.env.get("USDA_API_KEY");
+    if (!envKey) console.warn("[FOOD SEARCH] USDA_API_KEY not set, falling back to DEMO_KEY (heavily rate-limited)");
+    const usdaApiKey = envKey ?? "DEMO_KEY";
 
     console.log(`[FOOD SEARCH] Searching for: ${query}`);
 
@@ -50,6 +52,10 @@ Deno.serve(async (req) => {
 
     console.log(`[FOOD SEARCH] Status: ${usdaRes.status}`);
 
+    if (usdaRes.status === 429) {
+      return jsonResponse({ detail: "Food database rate-limited, try again shortly" }, { status: 503 }, origin);
+    }
+
     if (!usdaRes.ok) {
       const errText = await usdaRes.text();
       console.log(`[FOOD SEARCH] Error response: ${errText}`);