UNSPSC 50615801: Canned or jarred Non GMO agar-agar

The variety of Non GMO sea vegetables known as Non GMO agar-agar that has been canned or jarred 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 50615801 Canned or jarred Non GMO agar-agar, a Commodity code, does not reflect the actual activity in state and local procurement under this designation—recent solicitations tagged to it are overwhelmingly for broad food service contracts spanning produce, proteins, dairy, canned goods, and dry staples, with no evidence of agar-agar procurement. The code's nominal scope (specialty gelling agents) diverges significantly from what state and local governments are actually buying under this tag. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with Fairfax County Public Schools, Burke County Public Schools, Liberty County Board of Education, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Douglas County School System, Muscogee County School District, Ben Hill County Schools, and Rockwood R-VI School District all soliciting master grocery contracts or comprehensive food product procurements in the first half of 2026. Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Oregon Department of Corrections, and the State of Illinois also appear multiple times. The recent opportunities reveal demand for weekly and quarterly food orders covering hundreds of line items—canned tomatoes, fresh produce, proteins, dairy, grains, condiments, and prepared foods—all governed by Buy American Act compliance, USDA nutritional standards, HACCP food safety protocols, and firm fixed pricing with permitted midterm adjustments tied to manufacturer price increases or USDA market indices.

Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia (Douglas County, Muscogee County, Liberty County, Savannah-Chatham County, Ben Hill County), Texas (HHSC statewide facilities, TDCJ multiple warehouse locations, El Paso State Supported Living Center), Oregon (Department of Corrections Salem distribution center), Missouri (Rockwood R-VI), Illinois (Veterans Home Quincy), and Virginia (Fairfax County). Representative solicitations include Fairfax County Public Schools' Master Grocery K-12 IFB 2000004323 (response due April 27, 2026) for weekly deliveries to 45 schools and seven distribution kitchens; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's IFB HHS0017449 for food and consumables at El Paso State Supported Living Center (response due July 13, 2026, historical value $1.5 million); the Oregon Department of Corrections' canned tomato ITB S2910000017145 (response due June 19, 2026, approximately 7,616 cases at $13.75 per case from prior purchase); Burke County Public Schools' comprehensive school nutrition IFB (response due June 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM); and the Douglas County School System's RFP SN 26-003 for food supply and distribution serving 32 schools with estimated annual spend of approximately $9,000,000 (response due February 18, 2026). No recent opportunities demonstrate procurement of agar-agar or non-GMO specialty ingredients; the code appears to be a mislabeling issue affecting opportunity matching rather than a live market segment.