UNSPSC 50606857: Frozen Non GMO taro leaf

The variety of Non GMO vegetable known as Non GMO taro leaf 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 50606857 Frozen Non GMO Taro Leaf, a Commodity code, captures specialty frozen produce items that state and local governments procure for school nutrition programs and institutional food service. Recent solicitations show school districts across Georgia, Missouri, and Texas buying frozen and fresh produce as components of broader child nutrition service contracts, though the code's specific focus on taro leaf as a frozen, non-GMO item appears to represent a narrow subset of the produce categories actually being solicited. The work being purchased includes fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits, and specialty produce items for National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program compliance, delivered to school sites with strict temperature, labeling, and food safety requirements including HACCP plans, food recall procedures, and Buy American compliance. Issuing bodies are primarily school districts—Early County Schools in Georgia, City Schools of Decatur in Georgia, Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri, Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools in Georgia, Dallas Independent School District in Texas, and Douglas County Schools in Georgia—and state departments of education purchasing fresh produce and frozen foods. A multi-state school nutrition cooperative, the GEC Buying Cooperative, has also solicited produce through Douglas County Schools on behalf of 30 districts across Georgia.

Recent opportunities cluster heavily in Georgia and include the Early County Board of Education's June 8, 2026, response deadline for 300+ food items including frozen and fresh produce (RFP/IFB PE55045NONST2027000000006), City Schools of Decatur's May 15, 2026, IFB for frozen foods and grocery items (PE77310NONST2026000000018), Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools' April 23, 2026, fresh produce bid covering 72 line items (BID2634), and the GEC Buying Cooperative's March 4, 2026, RFP for fresh produce and eggs serving 30 Georgia school districts with approximately $5.5 million combined estimated annual spending (PE64810NONST2026000000047). Outside Georgia, Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri issued an April 29, 2026, IFB for over 900 grocery line items (CHILDNUTRITIONSERVICESGROCERYITEMS20262027), and Dallas Independent School District in Texas posted an April 2, 2026, RFP for various food products including specialty items (JC250079). The State of Georgia itself has solicited fresh produce on an IFB basis (May 27, 2026, response deadline) and food supplies broadly (June 22, 2026, response deadline). Vendor requirements across these solicitations emphasize firm pricing, delivery to multiple school sites between early morning and early afternoon Monday through Friday, proof of $500,000 to $2,000,000 general liability insurance, E-Verify authorization, Buy American compliance, HACCP certification, and food recall protocols. Contract terms typically run July 1 through June 30 with renewal options; no set-asides targeting disadvantaged enterprises are specified in the available documentation for most opportunities, though Dallas ISD encourages M/WBE participation and emphasizes a non-preferred ingredients list excluding artificial additives and high-fructose corn syrup under Texas Legislative Bill #314.