UNSPSC 50532900: Dried non GMO dates

The type of oblong edible fruit of a palm (phoenix dactylifera) that has 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 50532900 Dried non-GMO dates, a Class code, covers specialty dried fruit procurement by state and local food service programs, primarily school districts and public health institutions sourcing ingredients for school meals, senior nutrition programs, and institutional food service. While the code's nominal scope is narrow, state and local buyers under this classification typically seek dried dates as part of broader grocery or fresh produce contracts that support federally funded meal programs such as the National School Lunch Program or Adult Care Food Program. The buying is driven by nutrition requirements, allergen restrictions, domestic-sourcing mandates, and compliance with child and senior nutrition standards, with vendors required to provide detailed product specifications, nutritional analyses, food-safety documentation, and liability insurance.

Recent solicitations show activity concentrated among school districts and state health agencies across the Southeast and Southwest. The City of Bridgeport (Connecticut) Department of Public Purchases solicited grocery items for the Bridgeport Board of Education's Food & Nutrition Services Department with an electronic bid due June 30, 2026 (IFB-style), requiring 51 percent domestic agricultural content and compliance with Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act standards across over 1,100 line items for the July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027 contract term. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission requested food and consumable products for the El Paso State Supported Living Center under IFB HHS0017449 with proposals due July 11, 2026, covering a prior-period value of $1.5 million and serving multiple state agencies. Hancock County Board of Education (Georgia) issued an IFB for fresh produce for 2026–27 with sealed bids due June 26, 2026, spanning over 200 line items of vegetables and specialty fruits requiring domestic sourcing and firm pricing. Hillsborough County (Florida) posted an ITB for senior meal preparation and delivery services estimated at $17.8 million over three years, due June 25, 2026, and the State of Georgia solicited food supplies and kitchen products (due June 22, 2026) and the Pascagoula-Gautier School District (Mississippi) sought packaged meal boxes for its summer food service program (bids due April 29, 2026). The code shows modest but steady recent activity among school districts, county commissioners, and state health departments in Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Mississippi, with contract values ranging from single-vendor grocery frames to multi-million-dollar meal-service operations.