UNSPSC 50521709: Non GMO lady finger bananas

The variety of non GMO bananas known as non GMO lady finger banana. 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 50521709 Non GMO lady finger bananas, a Commodity code, covers fresh petite and lady finger bananas supplied to state and local food service operations, school nutrition programs, and institutional dining venues. The recent state and local opportunities show school districts and county parks departments sourcing small-format bananas — specifically petite bananas in 5" to 5.5" units at defined ripeness stages — alongside broader fresh produce procurement. Issuing bodies include independent school districts (Madison Metropolitan School District, Hancock County Board of Education, Early County Board of Education, Bartow County School System), county government parks departments (Collier County Board of County Commissioners), and regional healthcare coalitions (Marion Health Care Coalition). School nutrition programs dominate recent activity, procuring bananas as meal components under USDA child nutrition programs and general school lunch operations. Delivery logistics are tightly specified: bananas arrive at designated warehouse or food production centers during early morning windows (typically 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. for school districts), with weekly usage volumes ranging from 70–90 cases for a single district to 5,900+ weekly servings across multiple school locations. Quality standards require minimum 98 percent fill rates, HACCP plans, temperature control (55 degrees Fahrenheit or above on arrival), and compliance with color-grade specifications tied to commercial banana standards.

Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia (Hancock County, Bartow County, Early County school systems) and Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District), with secondary activity in Florida (Collier County). Recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4162 for petite bananas (bids due July 29, 2026, estimated annual contract value $78,000, September 2026 through June 2027 term), Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for fresh produce spanning multiple fruit and vegetable lines including specialty items (bids due June 26, 2026), and Bartow County School System's RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables sourced within 400 miles (proposals due June 22, 2026). School districts weight cost evaluation heavily (40 percent) alongside service capability, product quality, and vendor references. Local-vendor preferences and sustainable-sourcing criteria appear in some procurements; the Bartow County and Hancock County scopes emphasize domestic and regional agricultural content. Bananas enter these bids as line items within broader fresh produce frameworks rather than as standalone commodity contracts, making the code moderately active but typically bundled with competing fruit and vegetable suppliers.