UNSPSC 50606856: Frozen Non GMO taro

The variety of Non GMO vegetable known as Non GMO taro 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 50606856 Frozen Non GMO Taro is a Commodity code that addresses specialty frozen produce items for institutional food service, though recent state and local procurement activity under this code shows limited direct solicitation for taro specifically. Instead, state and local food service buyers—primarily school districts and state agencies—are purchasing frozen and fresh produce through broader commodity procurement channels that encompass multiple frozen and fresh produce lines alongside conventional staples. The work being solicited includes supply and delivery of produce to institutional kitchens and warehouses, with vendors required to meet USDA compliance, HACCP food safety plans, food recall procedures, Buy American provisions, and cold-chain management standards (refrigeration at specified temperatures with stock rotation by sell-by date). Issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and state agencies: the State of Georgia, the Early County Board of Education, the City Schools of Decatur, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, the Rockwood R-VI School District, and the Douglas County School System have all posted opportunities in the six-month window, with school nutrition programs driving the majority of demand for fresh and frozen produce procurement.

Geographic activity is concentrated in Georgia and Missouri, with the most recent and largest opportunities originating from Georgia school systems. Representative recent solicitations include the Douglas County School System's RFP SN 26-004 for fresh produce and eggs (due March 4, 2026) covering 72 produce line items with estimated annual spending of approximately $4.4 million for Area One and $1.1 million for Area Two across 30 school districts through the GEC Buying Cooperative; the City Schools of Decatur's IFB for frozen foods and grocery items (due May 15, 2026) requiring delivery to ten school sites with HACCP plans and $1 million general liability insurance; and the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System's bid for fresh produce (due April 23, 2026) encompassing 72 produce items with delivery to 60 school sites. The Early County Board of Education's line-item bid for food and non-food products (due June 8, 2026) includes produce alongside other commodity categories and emphasizes domestic sourcing, whole-grain formulations, and products without added sugars or artificial additives. None of the recent opportunities explicitly name frozen non-GMO taro as a line item; taro appears absent from active school nutrition procurement in the current window.