UNSPSC 50405901: Agar-agar

The variety of sea vegetables known as agar-agar

UNSPSC 50405901 Agar-agar, a Commodity code, does not appear in state and local procurement activity. Instead, recent solicitations tagged under or near this code span fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes) and prepared food items (frozen entrees, proteins, dairy, grains, condiments) supplied to institutional food service operations—state supported living centers, correctional facilities, mental health centers, school districts, and senior services programs. The disconnect suggests the code's nominal scope (a seaweed-derived gelling agent) does not match the actual buying pattern, which centers on bulk fresh and frozen commodity foods for high-volume institutional meal service.

State health and human services departments, departments of criminal justice, school boards, and county and municipal authorities dominate the issuing-body mix. Texas leads in recent activity, with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and multiple Texas school districts issuing invitations for fresh produce, canteen groceries, and food service items through IFBs and RFPs across fiscal 2027 contracts. Georgia school districts (Bartow County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Early County) and the Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health also appear in the recent opportunity stream. Representative procurements include the Texas HHS Commission's IFB HHS0018082 for consumables and food service supplies at Lufkin State Supported Living Center (bids due October 23, 2026), the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's multiple solicitations for fresh fruit and vegetables to regional food warehouses (response dates October 14, 2026), the Illinois Department of Corrections' small-business-set-aside RFQ for bi-weekly fresh produce delivery to Joliet Treatment Center (due September 3, 2026), and the Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks sourced within 400 miles of Madison and Wisconsin (bids due July 29, 2026). Geographic concentration spans Texas, Georgia, and Illinois, with scattered activity in Florida and Wisconsin. Pricing is typically F.O.B. Destination with vendor responsibility for freight; contract terms run one fiscal year with renewal options; and evaluation emphasizes specification compliance, delivery performance, price competitiveness, and in some cases local-vendor or diverse-business preferences.