What is the ING file format?
An .ing file is a proprietary ingredients database used by MasterCook, a recipe management application first released by Sierra On-Line in the early 1990s and now maintained by ValuSoft Finance, LLC. The canonical file is named MC Ingredients.ing and resides in the MasterCook installation's MC Tools directory.
The file stores a structured database of ingredient records: names, units of measurement, and comprehensive nutritional data - calories, macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals - that MasterCook uses to calculate nutritional profiles when recipes are scaled or combined. The format is a proprietary binary container with little-endian byte order; no public specification exists.
MasterCook's data model separates concerns across several file types: recipes are stored in .mc2 files, shopping lists in .sl files, and meal plans in .mxp files, while the .ing database provides the shared nutritional reference that ties them together. Older versions of MasterCook stored ingredients in .mz2 files before .ing became standard.
The software remains actively maintained as of 2025-2026, with applications available on Windows, iOS, Android, and as a Chrome web app. MasterCook 22 is the current major release. Because the .ing format is proprietary and undocumented, .ing files cannot be opened or edited outside the MasterCook application itself.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWING files are data-only and not executable. No known malware vector.
Format details
in a nutshell- Generic 'ingredients' text file - Some recipe apps use .ing as a plain-text ingredient list without any relation to MasterCook.
Programs that open ING files
Windows1 app
MasterCook
Paid Open MasterCook normally - it loads MC Ingredients.ing automatically from its installation directory. To replace/restore, copy the file into the MC Tools folder. 
macOS1 app
Android1 app
Technical details
deep spec| File type | Proprietary binary ingredients database |
| Encoding | Binary, little-endian byte order |
| Developer | ValuSoft Finance, LLC (formerly Sierra On-Line) |
| Canonical filename | `MC Ingredients.ing` in the MasterCook `MC Tools` directory |
| Data stored | Ingredient names, units, calories, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals |
| Typical size | 50 KB - 2 MB |
| Format versioning | Tied to MasterCook version; older versions not cross-compatible |
| Related file types | .mc2 (recipes), .sl (shopping lists), .mxp (meal exchange format) |
| Associated OS | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Specification | Proprietary; not publicly documented |
| Current application | MasterCook 22 (2022+) |
| Editor support | MasterCook application only; no third-party tools |
| Released | early 1990s (Sierra On-Line MasterCook); ValuSoft acquired 2002 |
| Latest version | MasterCook 22 (2022+) |
ING conversions
Community Q&A
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