UNSPSC 50582712: Non GMO lathom self-blanching celery

The variety of Non GMO celery known as Non GMO lathom self-blanching celery. 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 50582712 Non GMO lathom self-blanching celery is a Commodity code. State and local governments buy fresh produce—particularly celery and other vegetables—under this code to supply school nutrition programs, including National School Lunch Programs, School Breakfast Programs, and USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs (FFVP). Recent solicitations show school districts and school nutrition cooperatives procuring celery alongside broader fresh produce offerings (apples, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and leafy greens) for delivery to multiple school sites. Georgia and Texas dominate recent activity: the State of Georgia issued multiple fresh-produce and grocery-item solicitations (PE55645NONST2026000000009 for food supplies and PE68504NONST2026000000006 for produce), and Georgia school districts—including Bulloch County, Early County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, and Glynn County—have all posted produce procurements in March and April 2026. Texas school districts, notably Northside Independent School District (San Antonio) and Austin Independent School District, have also issued RFPs for fresh produce. Missouri's Rockwood R-VI School District and Florida's Hillsborough County Public Schools round out the geographic spread. McAllen Independent School District in Texas is soliciting fresh produce including celery for 20,000 students across 31 campuses.

Issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and school nutrition programs serving 6,900 to 83,000+ students; the Douglas County School System RFP (SN 26-004) serves 30 districts across two Georgia regions through the GEC Buying Cooperative. Notice types span RFPs, RFQs, IFBs, and ITBs, with response deadlines clustering between late April and early June 2026. Representative recent solicitations include Northside Independent School District's RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce (response due May 7, 2026, covering five-day weekly delivery to all district campuses with USDA Child Nutrition Reimbursable compliance and Texas-grown produce preference), Early County Board of Education's FY27 Food Bid (response due June 8, 2026, for 300+ food items including produce with domestic sourcing and whole-grain preferences), and Bulloch County School District's IFP for locally grown produce within 200 miles (response due May 4, 2026, covering 24 produce items with a Farm to School focus). Most districts require HACCP certification, Buy American compliance, general liability insurance ($500,000 to $2 million), on-time weekly or twice-weekly delivery, temperature-controlled transport, and firm pricing for the contract period (typically July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with renewal options). Estimated contract values range from $600,000 (Hillsborough County FFVP) to $4.4 million (Douglas County Area One).