UNSPSC 50596419: Dried Non GMO shirley tomatoes

The variety of Non GMO tomatoes known as Non GMO shirley tomatoes 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 50596419 Dried Non GMO shirley tomatoes is a Commodity code that describes a narrow product line — dried tomatoes meeting non-GMO specifications — yet recent state and local solicitations tagged with this code span a far broader scope of food procurement, including fresh produce, packaged meal boxes, catered senior meals, and general grocery items for school nutrition programs. The actual buying activity does not align cleanly with the code's nominal scope; instead, jurisdictions are using it as part of broader food-service RFQs, RFPs, IFBs, and ITBs that encompass vegetables, fruits, condiments, proteins, and prepared meals. Issuing bodies include school districts (Bridgeport Board of Education, Hancock County Board of Education, Pascagoula-Gautier School District), county governments (Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners in Florida), state agencies (Texas Health and Human Services Commission, State of Georgia), and special-purpose nutrition programs. The work being solicited centers on institutional food supply — meeting National School Lunch Program standards, Buy American domestic-content requirements (typically 51 percent for processed products), nutritional compliance, and HACCP food safety protocols.

Recent opportunities span Connecticut (Bridgeport Board of Education's RFQ for over 1,100 grocery line items due June 30, 2026), Texas (HHSC El Paso State Supported Living Center IFB with historical value of $1.5 million, due July 13, 2026), Georgia (Hancock County Board of Education fresh-produce IFB for over 200 line items due June 26, 2026; separate State of Georgia food and kitchen products RFQ due June 22, 2026), Florida (Hillsborough County's three-year senior meal preparation and delivery services ITB valued at $17,832,659.90, due June 25, 2026), and Mississippi (Pascagoula-Gautier School District packaged meal-box RFQ due April 29, 2026). Contracting is spread across multiple jurisdictions with no single dominant buyer; school nutrition programs and county aging services form the primary customer base. The code shows significant recent activity but misalignment between the commodity name and the actual scope of work — vendors pursuing these opportunities typically supply multiple product categories beyond dried tomatoes, and institutional food procurement under this code requires compliance with federal nutrition standards, Buy American provisions, product liability insurance ($1 million to $2 million per occurrence), and submission of USDA compliance statements, product formulations, and health inspection records.