UNSPSC 50542503: Frozen non GMO bigarreu cherries

The variety of non GMO cherries known as non GMO bigarreu cherries 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 50542503 Frozen non-GMO Bigarreu cherries (Commodity) names a single produce item, but state and local governments soliciting under this code are actually procuring broad frozen and fresh produce portfolios to support school nutrition programs serving breakfast and lunch across entire districts. Recent opportunities show school districts and county boards of education buying comprehensive grocery and produce lineups—hundreds of line items spanning frozen fruits and vegetables, fresh produce, proteins, dairy, grains, condiments, and supplies—rather than single-commodity sourcing. The issuing bodies are almost exclusively school districts and county boards of education managing child nutrition services under USDA National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program frameworks. These jurisdictions emphasize Buy American provisions requiring minimum 51% domestic agricultural commodity content, HACCP food safety plans, Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act nutrition standards, whole-grain requirements, low-sodium formulations, products free of artificial additives and added sugars, and annual contract terms running July 1 through June 30. Vendors must maintain commercial general liability and products liability insurance (typically $1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate), comply with E-Verify and federal debarment certification, provide three years' minimum experience with school food service, allow blind taste testing and annual mock recall drills at vendor expense, accept orders through school-district ordering systems, and deliver Monday through Friday to central warehouses and individual school sites with transportation costs included and no separate fuel surcharges permitted.

Activity concentrates in Georgia and surrounding states, with recent solicitations from the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Hancock County Schools (Georgia); the State of Georgia; Early County Schools (Georgia); City Schools of Decatur (Georgia); Rockwood R-VI School District (Missouri); Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (Georgia); Douglas County School System (Georgia) issuing an RFP for 30 districts across two areas; and other school districts across the region. Representative recent opportunities include the City of Bridgeport Department of Public Purchases issuing an IFB for over 1,100 line items of grocery items with an electronic bid deadline of June 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.; Hancock County Board of Education issuing an IFB for fresh produce with over 200 line items due June 26, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.; City Schools of Decatur issuing an IFB for frozen foods and grocery items with sealed bid submissions due May 15, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. EST; Rockwood R-VI School District issuing a solicitation for over 900 grocery line items with electronic submissions due April 29, 2026 at 9:45 a.m. CDT; and Savannah-Chatham County Public School System issuing a bid for 72 fresh produce items due April 23, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Douglas County School System issued an RFP through the GEC Buying Cooperative for fresh produce and eggs serving 30 school districts with an estimated combined annual spend of approximately $5.5 million, sealed proposals due March 4, 2026. Contract awards are typically made on a line-item basis to allow multiple vendors, and initial contract terms run one year with renewal options extending up to three or four additional years.