UNSPSC 50532704: Dried non GMO howe cranberries

The variety of non GMO cranberries known as non GMO howe cranberries that have been dried for preservation. This means that they are produced without the use of methods that genetically modify organisms by means that are not possible under natural conditions. Such methods include cell fusion, microencapsulation and macro-encapsulation, and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology).

Traditional methods of breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture are considered to be non-GMO.

UNSPSC 50532704 Dried non-GMO Howe cranberries is a Commodity code that does not reflect the actual procurement activity state and local governments are conducting under this designation. Recent opportunities posted under this code overwhelmingly solicit comprehensive grocery, produce, and meal-service contracts—not dried cranberries specifically. The City of Bridgeport's Food & Nutrition Services solicitation (BNB052266, due June 30, 2026) encompasses over 1,100 line items spanning breakfast cereals, frozen products, condiments, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meats for the school lunch program; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's procurement (HHS0017449, due July 13, 2026) requests food and consumable products broadly for a state-supported living center; and Hancock County Board of Education (IFB #SN002-2027, due June 26, 2026) solicits fresh produce across 200+ line items including apples, berries, cruciferous vegetables, and specialty fruits. A pattern emerges across school districts and public agencies: these buyers are using the dried-cranberry code as a catch-all or miscoded entry point for multi-category food procurement. The issuing bodies include school districts (Fairfax County Public Schools, Bulloch County Board of Education, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Meriden Public Schools), county governments (Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners in Florida), state agencies (Georgia, Texas Health and Human Services Commission), and municipalities (City of Dallas, City of Bridgeport). Meriden Public Schools anticipates spending approximately $3.1 million on a single grocery, produce, and USDA foods contract (RFP 026-41, due February 25, 2026); Douglas County School System estimates $9 million annually for food supply and distribution (RFP 26-003, due February 18, 2026) and $5.5 million across two regions for produce and eggs (RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026).

Recent activity clusters in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic: Georgia (multiple school districts via the GEC Buying Cooperative; state procurements), Florida (Hillsborough County), Connecticut (Meriden), Mississippi (Pascagoula-Gautier School District), Texas (HHSC; City of Dallas), and Virginia (Fairfax County Public Schools). Most opportunities carry IFB, RFP, or ITB notice types with response windows between late February and late June 2026. All require compliance with the Buy American provision (51% domestic agricultural content in processed products), HACCP plans with 24/7 recall capability, detailed nutritional information, and substantial insurance (general liability typically $1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate). Contract terms typically span one year (July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027 for school-year cycles) with renewal options. The code assignment appears misaligned with actual procurement scope—dried cranberries do not appear as a line item in any of the recent solicitations—suggesting either systematic miscoding or use of the commodity code as a default category header for broader food-service procurement. Vendors pursuing this code should treat it as a gateway to comprehensive school nutrition, institutional food service, and public-agency meal-preparation opportunities rather than a specialized dried-fruit commodity market.