UNSPSC 50594816: Dried Non GMO shiitake mushrooms

The variety of Non GMO mushrooms known as Non GMO shiitake mushrooms 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 50594816 Dried Non GMO shiitake mushrooms is a Commodity code that names a single product line, yet recent state and local procurement activity under this code shows little direct relevance to dried shiitake mushrooms specifically. Instead, the code appears to have been applied to broad grocery and food service solicitations that encompass fresh produce, proteins, dairy, pantry staples, and prepared meals across school nutrition programs, senior meal services, and institutional food operations. The issuing bodies soliciting under related food procurement codes span school districts (Bridgeport Board of Education, Hancock County Schools, Bulloch County Schools, Savannah-Chatham County Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Meriden Public Schools, Douglas County School System), county governments (Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners in Florida, Douglas County Schools in Georgia), state health and human services agencies (Texas Health and Human Services Commission), municipalities (City of Dallas, City of Meriden), and the State of Georgia. School districts appear as the most frequent issuing bodies, with multiple concurrent solicitations for annual nutrition supply contracts.

Recent activity concentrates in the Southeast, particularly Georgia (Douglas County Schools, State of Georgia, Bulloch County Schools, Savannah-Chatham County Schools), Florida (Hillsborough County), and Connecticut (Bridgeport, Meriden), with additional activity in Mississippi and Virginia. Representative recent solicitations include Bridgeport Board of Education's IFB for over 1,100 grocery line items spanning breakfast, frozen products, condiments, and proteins with deliveries to schools and central warehouse (due June 30, 2026); Hancock County Schools' IFB for fresh produce across apple varieties, berries, cruciferous and root vegetables, and specialty items with delivery to three school sites (due June 26, 2026); Douglas County School System's RFP for fresh produce and eggs serving 30 districts with estimated annual spend of $4.4–$1.1 million by area (due March 4, 2026); and Hillsborough County's ITB for senior meal preparation and delivery services with estimated three-year value of $17.8 million (due June 25, 2026). Fairfax County Public Schools solicited Master Grocery K-12 supply to 52 school locations with weekly deliveries (due April 27, 2026), and Meriden Public Schools sought commercial groceries and USDA Foods with anticipated 2026-27 contract value of approximately $3.1 million (due February 25, 2026). The code's application to general grocery procurement rather than to dried shiitake mushrooms specifically suggests either broad tagging of food categories or misclassification in source systems.