UNSPSC 50542004: Frozen non GMO cherokee blackberries

The variety of non GMO blackberries known as non GMO cherokee blackberries that have been frozen 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 50542004 Frozen non-GMO Cherokee blackberries is a Commodity code representing a single product line within frozen fruit procurement. State and local governments procure frozen blackberries primarily through school district nutrition programs supporting the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, where they appear as line items within broader frozen foods and grocery solicitations. The work is entirely transactional — vendors supply pre-packaged frozen product to school food service operations, with no installation, customization, or specialized labor involved. Issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and boards of education at the county and city level, supplemented by state purchasing offices that aggregate demand across multiple jurisdictions. School districts dominate because child nutrition programs represent the highest-volume, most consistent buyer of frozen fruit products in state and local government; frozen blackberries compete against other frozen berries, stone fruits, and prepared fruit items in tightly specified procurement packages where product quality, nutritional compliance, food safety documentation, and delivery logistics drive vendor selection.

Recent activity shows frozen blackberries competing within much larger frozen foods and grocery solicitations across Georgia, Connecticut, and Missouri. The City of Bridgeport Board of Education (Connecticut) issued an RFQ for over 1,100 grocery line items with a June 30, 2026 response deadline; Hancock County Board of Education (Georgia) solicited fresh and frozen produce under IFB SN002-2027 due June 26, 2026; the City Schools of Decatur (Georgia) issued IFB SN26-005 for frozen foods and grocery items due May 15, 2026; and Rockwood R-VI School District (Missouri) requested bids on over 900 grocery line items due April 29, 2026. All of these solicitations embed frozen berries as minor line items within much larger product portfolios and impose stringent requirements: Buy American provisions (minimum 51 percent domestic agricultural content in processed items), HACCP plans with 24/7 recall capability, Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act nutrition compliance, no trans fats, firm pricing with limited escalation rights, prepaid freight to school delivery sites, and $500,000 to $2,000,000 general liability insurance. The Commodity code itself shows no standalone solicitations for frozen Cherokee blackberries; vendors pursue the product through multi-item grocery or frozen foods contracts where it appears as one line item among hundreds, making it a minor procurement opportunity rather than a category of independent strategic interest.