UNSPSC 50455802: Frozen organic arame

The variety of organic sea vegetables known as organic arame that has been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50455802 Frozen organic arame is a Commodity code that nominally covers a single specialized food product — seaweed preserved by freezing — but recent state and local solicitations show little activity aligned with this specific item. Instead, the opportunities tagged under this code reflect broader school nutrition procurement: the State of Georgia and multiple Georgia school districts (Early County Board of Education, City Schools of Decatur, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System), Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri, and Dallas Independent School District in Texas are actively soliciting frozen foods, grocery items, fresh produce, eggs, and comprehensive food service distribution for child nutrition programs and general operations. The work being solicited is meal-support procurement — hundreds of line items spanning proteins, dairy, grains, vegetables, fruits, condiments, and non-food supplies delivered to school kitchens and warehouses multiple times weekly. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with state purchasing offices and one state-level food purchasing cooperative (GEC) appearing secondarily. Vendors must meet food safety standards (HACCP plans, food recall procedures, E-Verify authorization, debarment certification), maintain substantial liability insurance ($500,000 to $2,000,000 general liability coverage), and comply with Buy American preferences and USDA sourcing rules. Contract terms run annually from July 1 through June 30 with renewal options and firm pricing for the contract year, though some districts permit price adjustments for documented cost increases exceeding 3–5 percent.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia and extends to Missouri and Texas, with the largest identified opportunity in Douglas County, Georgia, where a cooperative serving 30 school districts across two geographic regions sought fresh produce and eggs with estimated annual spending of $4.4 million for Area One and $1.1 million for Area Two (RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026). Early County Board of Education's food bid (due June 8, 2026) encompasses 300+ food items and 60 non-food supplies across three schools, emphasizing domestic sourcing, whole-grain options, low-sodium formulations, and products without added sugars or artificial additives. City Schools of Decatur issued an IFB for frozen foods and grocery items (due May 15, 2026) with delivery to ten school sites and quarterly pricing adjustments permitted if market conditions change by more than 10 percent. Dallas ISD's RFP for various food products (due April 2, 2026) sought multiple suppliers for items not covered under main commodity bids, including spice and ice cream lots, with compliance to Texas Legislative Bill 314 prohibiting artificial colors, artificial flavors, and high fructose corn syrup. The code shows active procurement but primarily for standard school meal supply chains rather than the frozen seaweed product the UNSPSC number nominally identifies.