UNSPSC 50602708: Frozen Non GMO golden self-blanching celery

The variety of Non GMO celery known as Non GMO golden self-blanching celery that has 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 50602708 Frozen Non GMO Golden Self-Blanching Celery, a Commodity code, describes frozen vegetable products procured by state and local governments for institutional food service, particularly school nutrition programs. Recent solicitations under this code show school districts and state agencies purchasing frozen produce as part of comprehensive food service procurement for child nutrition and institutional meal programs. The issuing bodies are predominantly school districts (Early County Board of Education, City Schools of Decatur, Rockwood R-VI School District, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Douglas County School System) and state agencies (State of Georgia), with a single large urban district (Dallas Independent School District) representing a substantial buyer. These jurisdictions solicit food products on annual or multi-year contract cycles aligned with school fiscal years running July through June, often with renewal options extending three to five years. Scope ranges from narrow single-category procurements (fresh produce or eggs alone) to comprehensive food service bundles encompassing hundreds of line items across proteins, dairy, grains, vegetables, fruits, and frozen items, with districts emphasizing USDA compliance, HACCP certification, Buy American sourcing, low-sodium formulations, whole-grain options, and products free of artificial additives and high-fructose corn syrup per state legislative mandates.

Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia (State of Georgia, Early County Schools, City Schools of Decatur, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Douglas County School System) and extends to Missouri (Rockwood R-VI) and Texas (Dallas Independent School District). Representative recent opportunities include Early County Board of Education's FY27 Food Bid (RFQ with line-by-line bidding, due June 8, 2026, covering 300+ food items plus 60 non-food products), City Schools of Decatur's Frozen Foods and Grocery IFB (due May 15, 2026, requiring HACCP plans and $1 million general liability insurance), Savannah-Chatham County Public School System's Fresh Produce annual contract bid (due April 23, 2026, encompassing 72 produce items with 60 delivery sites), Douglas County School System's Fresh Produce and Eggs RFP through GEC Buying Cooperative (due March 4, 2026, estimated $5.5 million annual spend across 30 districts), and Dallas Independent School District's Various Food Products RFP (due April 2, 2026, structured with individual line items and designated lots). All contracts require firm pricing for the performance period, include delivery charges in vendor pricing with no fuel surcharges, mandate delivery within specified windows (typically 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday–Friday), and require vendors to maintain minimum $1 million general liability insurance and federal compliance certifications including E-Verify authorization and debarment verification.