UNSPSC 50527002: Non GMO babacos

The variety of non GMO fruit known as non GMO babaco. 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 50527002 Non GMO babacos, a Commodity-level code, tracks procurement of specialty banana varieties—specifically petite bananas with defined ripeness and size specifications—for school nutrition programs and institutional food service. Recent state and local opportunities show school districts soliciting bananas as part of broader fresh produce contracts, with petite bananas appearing as a line item within comprehensive RFBs and RFPs that also cover apples, berries, vegetables, and other produce. The Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin is the primary recent buyer explicitly naming this commodity, issuing RFB 4162 for petite bananas in 150-count case packs (5" to 5.5" length, ripeness stages 3.5–4.5 per Chiquita color standards) with an estimated annual contract value of $78,000 and a response deadline of July 29, 2026. School districts issuing under this code typically require HACCP plans, food safety compliance, minimum fill rates (98% or higher), liability insurance ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, and adherence to Buy American provisions where applicable. Evaluation criteria commonly emphasize cost (30–50%), organization qualifications and experience (15–20%), and past performance with the buying district (10%).

Recent activity concentrates in the Southeast and Upper Midwest, with school districts in Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas, and Florida all soliciting fresh produce that includes banana varieties. Madison Metropolitan School District's petite banana solicitation stands as the only recent opportunity explicitly naming this specific commodity; broader fresh produce RFPs and IFBs from Liberty County Schools (Georgia), Glynn County Schools (Georgia), Savannah-Chatham County Schools (Georgia), Muscogee County Schools (Georgia), Hancock County Schools (Georgia), Bulloch County Schools (Georgia), Early County Schools (Georgia), Bartow County Schools (Georgia), McAllen Independent School District (Texas), Austin Independent School District (Texas), and Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) all include bananas as component line items within larger annual produce contracts. Geographic concentration reflects school district nutrition procurement in the Southeast; no recent opportunities outside this pattern appear in the dataset. The code shows moderate but specialized activity—banana procurement is routine in school food service, but petite bananas as a distinct item specification is less common than standard banana varieties in RFBs.