UNSPSC 50615816: Canned or jarred Non GMO wakame

The variety of Non GMO sea vegetables known as Non GMO wakame 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 50615816 Canned or jarred Non GMO wakame, a Commodity code, nominally names a specific seaweed product, but state and local procurement activity under this code does not reflect that narrow scope. The recent opportunities posted under this code span broad food service provisioning — weekly food orders for veterans' facilities, supplemental food and consumable products for state hospitals and supported living centers, cafeteria supplies for correctional facilities, and school nutrition programs. State and local governments are buying general groceries, canned goods, produce, proteins, dairy, and prepared foods to operate institutional food service operations at scale, not specialty seaweed products. The issuing-body mix includes state departments (Illinois Veterans Home, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Oregon Department of Corrections), school districts (Ben Hill County Schools in Georgia, Burke County Public Schools in Georgia, Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri, Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, Douglas County School System in Georgia), and county boards of education (Liberty County Board of Education in Georgia, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System in Georgia, Muscogee County School District in Georgia). School nutrition programs dominate the recent activity, with multiple districts soliciting annual food contracts.

Geographic concentration is heaviest in Georgia and Texas, with secondary activity in Illinois, Oregon, Missouri, and Virginia. Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's procurement of supplemental food and consumables for state hospitals and supported living centers statewide (IFB HHS0017449, response due July 13, 2026, historical value $1.5 million annually), the State of Illinois's quarterly weekly food order for the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy (RFQ 27497DVAQUINCB52821, due June 26, 2026), Ben Hill County Schools' school nutrition food bid across four schools (IFB #26271, due June 15, 2026, with Buy American Act requirements), and the Douglas County School System's food supply and distribution services for 32 schools serving approximately 25,500 students (RFP 26-003, due February 18, 2026, estimated annual value $9 million). The code shows active procurement volume but appears to be misclassified for the specialty product it nominally represents; vendors should evaluate fit based on institutional food service capability and geographic presence rather than seaweed-specific expertise.