UNSPSC 50584509: Non GMO ruby romaine lettuce

The variety of Non GMO lettuce known as Non GMO ruby romaine lettuce. 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 50584509 Non GMO ruby romaine lettuce is a Commodity code that encompasses fresh produce items sourced for school nutrition programs, institutional food service, and state procurement. State and local governments buy fresh vegetables—lettuce, greens, salad mixes, and related produce—as components of child nutrition reimbursable meal programs and general institutional food service. The issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and county boards of education, with occasional state-level procurement participation. School districts dominate this code's activity, with recent solicitations from Early County Schools, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Liberty County Board of Education, Muscogee County School District, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Glynn County Board of Education, McAllen Independent School District, Northside Independent School District (San Antonio), Austin Independent School District, Rockwood R-VI School District, and Bulloch County School District, alongside state-level fresh-produce bids from Georgia and multi-district cooperative purchasing through the GEC Buying Cooperative serving 30 districts across Georgia.

Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia and Texas, with additional recent solicitations in Florida and Missouri. Representative recent opportunities include the Early County Board of Education's RFP for line-by-line food and produce bids (bid opening June 8, 2026), Northside Independent School District's RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce delivered to San Antonio campuses five days per week (due May 7, 2026), Hillsborough County Public Schools' RFP for specialty fruits and vegetables supporting the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program at 18 elementary schools (proposals due March 11, 2026), and the Douglas County School System's RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative for fresh produce and eggs serving 30 school districts across two Georgia areas with estimated annual spending of approximately $4.4 million for Area One and $1.1 million for Area Two (sealed proposals due March 4, 2026). Contracts typically require weekly or twice-weekly delivery to school sites, HACCP certification, Buy American compliance, liability insurance of $1 million or higher, and firm pricing for one year with provisions for price adjustment based on USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index documentation.