UNSPSC 50535402: Dried non GMO anjou pears

The variety of non GMO pears known as non GMO anjou pears 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 50535402 Dried non-GMO Anjou pears, a Commodity code, captures a narrow product line that state and local governments buy principally as ingredients for school nutrition programs under the National School Lunch Program and related child nutrition initiatives. The recent solicitations show that dried fruit appears as part of much broader breakfast-item and produce portfolios rather than as a standalone line item, meaning buyers typically source it through multi-category grocery, fresh produce, or food-supply contracts that span hundreds of line items at once. School districts and county education authorities dominate the issuing-body mix; the City of Bridgeport Department of Public Purchases (on behalf of the Bridgeport Board of Education), Hancock County Board of Education in Georgia, and the Pascagoula-Gautier School District in Mississippi all posted recent opportunities. State agencies also participate — the Texas Health and Human Services Commission sought food and consumable products for the El Paso State Supported Living Center — but school nutrition programs are the primary driver. All solicitations emphasize Buy American provisions (minimum 51 percent domestic agricultural ingredients), Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act compliance, nutritional labeling, and nut-free formulations, creating a heavily regulated procurement environment where product specifications and safety certifications matter as much as price.

Geographic activity spans the Southeast and beyond, with recent opportunities in Connecticut, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. The Bridgeport Board of Education IFB for grocery items spanning over 1,100 line items with a July 1, 2026 start date, due June 30, 2026, represents the largest and most comprehensive recent opportunity, though dried Anjou pears are not explicitly named as a separate line. The Hancock County Board of Education IFB for fresh produce (over 200 line items, due June 26, 2026, contract July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027) and the Pascagoula-Gautier School District's Child Nutrition Summer Food Service Program Packaged 7-Day Meal Boxes (due April 29, 2026) show school-focused competition. The code shows limited standalone recent activity for dried Anjou pears; most opportunities bundle dried fruit as part of larger ingredient or produce contracts rather than calling it out as a commodity-level purchase.