UNSPSC 50616601: Canned or jarred Non GMO acorn squash

The variety of Non GMO winter squashes and winter pumpkins known as Non GMO acorn squash 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 50616601 Canned or jarred Non GMO acorn squash is a Commodity code covering specialty preserved vegetable products that state and local governments procure as part of broader food service operations. Recent solicitations under this code show minimal direct targeting of non-GMO acorn squash specifically; instead, issuing bodies tag their general food procurement opportunities—including school nutrition programs, corrections facilities, and state health and human services operations—with commodity-level codes that span entire product categories. The work actually being solicited is comprehensive food supply contracting for institutional dining, encompassing hundreds of line items from fresh proteins and produce through canned goods, condiments, and prepared entrees, with non-GMO acorn squash appearing as one discretionary item within those broader scopes rather than as a standalone procurement driver.

School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with prominent recent activity from Fairfax County Public Schools (Virginia), Ben Hill County Schools (Georgia), Burke County Public Schools (Georgia), Liberty County Board of Education (Georgia), Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (Georgia), Rockwood R-VI School District (Missouri), and Douglas County School System (Georgia). State agencies including the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Oregon Department of Corrections, Illinois Veterans Home, and Georgia Department of State Health Services also procure under this taxonomy, along with independent school districts across multiple states. Geographic spread is concentrated in the South—particularly Georgia, Texas, and Missouri—with secondary activity in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon), Upper Midwest (Illinois), and Mid-Atlantic (Virginia). Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's IFB HHS0017449 for food and consumable products at the HHSC El Paso State Supported Living Center (due July 13, 2026, with a prior-period value of $1.5 million), the Oregon Department of Corrections' canned-tomato ITB S2910000017145 (due June 19, 2026, for approximately 7,616 cases), Ben Hill County Schools' comprehensive food bid IFB #26271 (due June 15, 2026, across four schools), and Fairfax County Public Schools' Master Grocery K-12 IFB 2000004323 (due April 27, 2026, spanning 45 elementary, middle, and high schools plus distribution kitchens). These procurements typically run one to three years with renewal options, emphasize Buy American and USDA compliance, and award on best-value or lowest-responsive-bid criteria; canned or jarred acorn squash would qualify as an allowable line item within these broader scopes rather than driving procurement strategy independently.