diff --git a/client/src/pages/Search.jsx b/client/src/pages/Search.jsx
index 4d5636c..ee66474 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/Search.jsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/Search.jsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export default function Search() {
   const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
     e.preventDefault();
     try {
+      setFoods([])
       setLoading(true);
       setError(null);
       const response = await axios.get(
@@ -28,12 +29,21 @@ export default function Search() {
           withCredentials: true,
         }
       );
-      setFoods(response.data.products);
+      if (response.status === 200) {
+        setFoods(response.data.products);
+      }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error("Error fetching user foods:", error);
-      // Set appropriate error message
-      if (error.response && error.response.status === 429) {
-        setError("Rate limit reached. Please try again later.");
+      if (error.response) {
+        if (error.response.status === 401) {
+          setError("Authorization Error: Please log in again");
+        } else if (error.response.status === 429) {
+          setError("Rate limit reached. Please try again later.");
+        } else if (error.response.status === 400 || error.response.status === 404) {
+          setError(`Products not found in OpenFoodFacts database.`);
+        } else {
+          setError("An unexpected error occurred while fetching products.");
+        }
       } else {
         setError("An error occurred while fetching products.");
       }
diff --git a/server/controllers/products.controller.js b/server/controllers/products.controller.js
index 71a1048..fb7cc6b 100644
--- a/server/controllers/products.controller.js
+++ b/server/controllers/products.controller.js
@@ -8,39 +8,60 @@ async function searchAndDisplayProducts(req, res) {
 
     // Check if the searchTerm is a barcode
     const isBarcode = /^\d+$/.test(searchTerm.trim());
+
+    let productData;
+
     if (
       isBarcode &&
       searchTerm.trim().length >= 8 &&
       searchTerm.trim().length <= 14
     ) {
-      // Retrieve product by barcode
-      const product = await ProductsModel.displayProductByBarcode(
+      productData = await ProductsModel.displayProductByBarcode(
         searchTerm,
         req
       );
-      if (Object.keys(product).length === 0) {
-        return res.status(404).send("Product not found");
-      } else if (product.error) {
-        return res.status(429).json({ error: product.error });
-      } else {
-        return res.status(200).json(product);
-      }
     } else {
-      // Retrieve data by search term
-      const productsData = await ProductsModel.displayProductsBySearchTerm(
+      productData = await ProductsModel.displayProductsBySearchTerm(
         searchTerm,
         req
       );
+    }
 
-      if (productsData.error) {
-        return res.status(429).json({ error: productsData.error });
+    // Check for specific error messages and handle accordingly
+    if (productData.error) {
+      if (productData.error === "Authorization token is missing") {
+        return res.status(401).json({
+          error: `${productData.error}`,
+          products: [],
+        });
       }
-
-      return res.status(200).json(productsData);
+      if (productData.error === "OpenFoodFacts API rate limit reached") {
+        return res.status(429).json({
+          error: `${productData.error}. Please try again later.`,
+          products: [],
+        });
+      }
+      // If no product(s) data returned
+      if (Object.keys(productData).length === 0) {
+        return res.status(404).json({
+          error: `Products not found in OpenFoodFacts database`,
+          products: [],
+        });
+      }
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        error: `Products not found in OpenFoodFacts database`,
+        products: [],
+      });
     }
+    // Successful response
+    return res.status(200).json(productData);
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Error searching product:", error);
-    return res.status(500).json({ error: "Internal server error" });
+    // Generic internal server error handler
+    return res.status(500).json({
+      error: "Internal server error. Please try again later.",
+      products: [],
+    });
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/server/models/products.model.js b/server/models/products.model.js
index 0e8c25b..192e951 100644
--- a/server/models/products.model.js
+++ b/server/models/products.model.js
@@ -135,9 +135,19 @@ ProductModel.formatProductData = function (responseProduct) {
 
 ProductModel.displayProductByBarcode = async function (barcode, req) {
   try {
+    // Ensure barcode and request are provided
+    if (!barcode) {
+      throw new Error("Barcode is required");
+    }
+
+    if (!req || !req.cookies || !req.cookies.token) {
+      throw new Error("Authorization token is missing");
+    }
     // Get the user ID from the JWT token in the request cookies
     const user = getUserFromToken(req);
-
+    if (!user || !user.id) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid user authentication");
+    }
     // Fetch user-specific foods from the database
     const userFoods = await UserModel.getUserFoods(user.id);
 
@@ -148,6 +158,9 @@ ProductModel.displayProductByBarcode = async function (barcode, req) {
 
     // Fetch product data from OpenFoodFacts API endpoint
     const productData = await this.fetchOFFProductByBarcode(barcode);
+    if (!productData || Object.keys(productData).length === 0) {
+      throw new Error("Products not found in OpenFoodFacts database");
+    }
 
     // Format the product data from the external API
     const product = this.formatProductData(productData);
@@ -174,22 +187,32 @@ ProductModel.displayProductByBarcode = async function (barcode, req) {
       ],
     };
   } catch (error) {
-    if (error.message === "OpenFoodFacts API rate limit reached") {
-      return {
-        products: [],
-        error: "Rate limit reached. Please try again later.",
-      };
-    }
+    console.error(
+      `Error displaying product by barcode: ${error.response.status} ${error.response.statusText}`
+    );
 
-    console.error("Error displaying product by barcode:", error);
-    throw new Error(`Error displaying product by barcode: ${error.message}`);
+    return {
+      products: [],
+      error: error,
+    };
   }
 };
 
 ProductModel.displayProductsBySearchTerm = async function (searchTerm, req) {
   try {
+    // Ensure barcode and request are provided
+    if (!searchTerm) {
+      throw new Error("Search Term is required");
+    }
+
+    if (!req || !req.cookies || !req.cookies.token) {
+      throw new Error("Authorization token is missing");
+    }
     // Get the user ID from the JWT token in the request cookies
     const user = getUserFromToken(req);
+    if (!user || !user.id) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid user authentication");
+    }
 
     // Fetch user-specific foods from the database
     const userFoods = await UserModel.getUserFoods(user.id);
@@ -201,6 +224,9 @@ ProductModel.displayProductsBySearchTerm = async function (searchTerm, req) {
 
     // Fetch products data from OpenFoodFacts API endpoint
     const productsData = await this.fetchOFFProductsBySearch(searchTerm);
+    if (!productsData || productsData.data.count === 0) {
+      throw new Error("Products not found in OpenFoodFacts database");
+    }
 
     // Format the productsData to local database standard
     productsData.data.products.forEach((productData, index) => {
@@ -223,15 +249,12 @@ ProductModel.displayProductsBySearchTerm = async function (searchTerm, req) {
 
     return productsData.data;
   } catch (error) {
-    if (error.message === "OpenFoodFacts API rate limit reached") {
-      return {
-        products: [],
-        error: "Rate limit reached. Please try again later.",
-      };
-    }
-
     console.error("Error searching product by search term:", error);
-    throw error;
+
+    return {
+      products: [],
+      error: error,
+    };
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/server/models/users.model.js b/server/models/users.model.js
index 251e1da..19a950b 100644
--- a/server/models/users.model.js
+++ b/server/models/users.model.js
@@ -128,7 +128,11 @@ const UsersModel = {
       if (!user) {
         throw new Error("User not found");
       }
-      return user.foods;
+      // Ensure foods.products and foods.wholefoods are arrays
+      return {
+        products: user.foods.products || [],
+        wholefoods: user.foods.wholefoods || [],
+      };
     } catch (error) {
       throw new Error(`Error retrieving user's foods: ${error.message}`);
     }