UNSPSC 50435801: Dried organic agar-agar

The variety of organic sea vegetables known as organic agar-agar that has been dried for preservation.

UNSPSC 50435801 Dried organic agar-agar is a Commodity code that does not align with the recent state and local procurement activity tagged under it. The solicitation record shows no recent opportunities for agar-agar; instead, the tagged opportunities document bids for dried beans (kidney beans, pinto and red beans, black beans) and broader food-supply contracts for institutional meal programs and correctional facilities. State and local governments use this code nominally for seaweed-derived gelling and thickening agents used in food production and laboratory settings, but the actual current buying activity under the code reflects dried legumes and bulk institutional foodstuffs for cafeteria and correctional meal service. The issuing bodies are state correctional agencies (Georgia Correctional Industries, Oregon Department of Corrections, Texas Department of Criminal Justice), state procurement offices managing food supply for multiple agencies, and municipalities operating child and adult care food programs (City of Edinburg, Texas).

Recent activity appears concentrated in the South and Pacific Northwest. The Oregon Department of Corrections issued a bid for approximately 42,500 pounds of dried pinto and red beans due June 19, 2026, with a combined 10% evaluation preference for Oregon-fabricated or Oregon-headquartered bidders and a historical purchase price of $0.493 per pound; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, through the Comptroller's Statewide Procurement Division, issued an IFB (304T-26-300CF) for cafeteria food products including multiple legume line items with delivery to six Texas distribution points and responses due May 4, 2026; and Georgia Correctional Industries posted an RFQ for kidney beans in 880-bag increments due October 9, 2026, with all-inclusive delivery pricing required and electronic PDF submission mandated. The City of Edinburg, Texas, solicited an RFP for a Child and Adult Care Food Program covering five supply categories (beverages, paper goods, food products, janitorial supplies, and nonfood items) to serve approximately 400 children daily over nine months, with responses due August 4, 2026, local-vendor preference of 5% under Texas Local Government Code Section 271.9051, and evaluation criteria weighting cost at 30%, qualifications at 25%, technical approach at 25%, and menu quality at 20%. Code-category mismatch suggests limited relevance for vendors specializing in agar-agar or specialty food additives.