UNSPSC 50610000: Canned or jarred Non GMO vegetables

Plants cultivated Non GMO originally for an edible part, as roots, stems, leaves or flower that have been canned or jarred for preservation. To qualify as being canned or jarred the vegetable should have been subjected to one or more commercial processes for sterilizing, pressure sealing (vacuum), etc. in order to prevent contamination by microbial agents. This means that they are produced without the use of methods that genetically modify organisms by means that are not possible under natural conditions.

UNSPSC 50610000 Canned or jarred non-GMO vegetables (Family) encompasses canned and jarred vegetable products that state and local governments procure primarily for school nutrition programs, correctional facilities, state hospitals, and supported living centers. Recent solicitations show school districts dominating this market, with food service operations at detention facilities and health and human services agencies representing secondary buyers. The work involves supplying standardized canned or jarred vegetables—tomato products, green beans, carrots, mixed vegetables, and other shelf-stable produce—to central distribution points or individual facilities on fixed-price contracts, typically with annual or multi-year terms and quarterly or monthly delivery schedules. Vendors must meet USDA grade specifications (commonly Grade B or better), comply with FDA labeling and sodium-content limits, and maintain minimum shelf-life requirements at delivery, often 12 months or longer. Buy American provisions frequently apply, requiring domestic agricultural content; whole-grain and low-sodium options are increasingly specified. Pricing is submitted as firm fixed unit rates, inclusive of all transportation and delivery charges on FOB Destination terms, with price adjustments typically restricted to renewal periods or indexed to third-party market data such as USDA reporting or the Consumer Price Index.

State education agencies and school districts lead recent activity, particularly in Georgia and Texas, with individual districts (Ben Hill County Schools, Burke County Public Schools, Liberty County Board of Education, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, and Fairfax County Public Schools) and cooperative purchasing vehicles (GEC Buying Cooperative serving 30 Georgia districts) issuing multiple RFPs and IFBs. Correctional and health-services buyers—Oregon Department of Corrections, Texas Health and Human Services Commission serving state hospitals and supported living centers, and Illinois Veterans Homes—also solicit regularly. Geographic concentration is strongest in Georgia and Texas, with activity also visible in Oregon, Illinois, and Virginia. Representative recent opportunities include the Oregon Department of Corrections' June 2026 solicitation for approximately 7,616 cases of canned tomatoes (ODOC S2910000017145, ITB, due June 19, 2026) and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's procurement of supplemental food and consumables including canned goods for state facilities statewide (HHS0017449, IFB, due July 13, 2026, with prior period value of $1.5 million). Ben Hill County Schools (Georgia) solicited food products including canned vegetables as part of a comprehensive nutrition program bid (PE61000NONST2027000000006, IFB, due June 15, 2026), and the Douglas County School System coordinated a cooperative buying group RFP for 30 districts covering produce and fresh items with estimated annual spend of approximately $5.5 million combined (DCSD SN26-004, RFP, due March 4, 2026). These buyers typically require responses within two to six weeks and award contracts based on lowest responsive bid meeting specifications, with historical pricing serving as a reference—Oregon ODOC paid $14.30 per case for canned tomatoes in August 2025 and $27.75 per case for tomato paste in May 2025. Activity is steady across the first half of 2026, with most awards anticipated in June through August ahead of the July 1 fiscal-year contract start common in school nutrition and public-sector food service.