UNSPSC 50601917: Frozen Non GMO forono beets

The variety of Non GMO beets known as Non GMO forono beets 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 50601917 Frozen Non-GMO forono beets is a Commodity code that describes frozen specialty vegetable products procured by state and local governments for institutional food service, particularly school nutrition programs. Recent state and local solicitations under this code show that school districts purchase frozen vegetables as part of broader food service procurement for child nutrition and school meal programs, though the specific item "forono beets" does not appear as a line item in the recent opportunities reviewed. Instead, the code's parent categories encompass frozen and fresh produce items across multiple vegetable types—including carrots, broccoli, peppers, and other staples—procured by school districts and state agencies as building blocks of meal programs serving tens of thousands of students daily. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with independent districts and county systems (Early County Board of Education, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Rockwood R-VI School District, City Schools of Decatur, Dallas Independent School District, Douglas County School System) conducting the majority of procurement activity. State-level buyers (Georgia and Missouri) also solicit food products for institutional operations.

The geographic spread of recent activity centers on Georgia and Missouri, with secondary activity in Texas. Douglas County School System in Georgia has issued multiple RFPs with substantial annual spending—approximately $10.1 million combined across fresh produce and food supply distribution (RFP SN 26-004 and 26-003 posted January and February 2026, due February 18 and March 4, 2026 respectively)—and operates a cooperative purchasing vehicle (GEC Buying Cooperative) spanning 30 districts across two geographic areas. The State of Georgia issued an IFB for fresh produce (Solicitation PE68504NONST2026000000006, posted April 20, 2026, due May 27, 2026) and a broader food and kitchen products bid (Solicitation PE55645NONST2026000000009, posted May 15, 2026, due June 22, 2026). In Missouri, Rockwood R-VI School District in St. Louis County solicited grocery items (bid CHILDNUTRITIONSERVICESGROCERYITEMS20262027, posted March 31, 2026, due April 29, 2026) for over 900 line items serving approximately 19,000 students. Texas activity includes Dallas Independent School District's RFP for various food products (Solicitation JC250079, posted February 22, 2026, due April 2, 2026). Recent RFPs and IFBs emphasize Buy American compliance, HACCP certification, E-Verify authorization, and firm pricing with limited escalation provisions tied to USDA or market indices.