UNSPSC 50301522: Elstar apples

The variety of apples known as elstar apples

UNSPSC 50301522 Elstar apples (Commodity) represents fresh fruit procurement for institutional food service, with state and local governments buying apples as line items within broader produce and grocery contracts serving correctional facilities, schools, senior centers, mental health centers, and child nutrition programs. The actual solicitations show apples specified alongside bananas, citrus, berries, root vegetables, and other fresh produce rather than as standalone commodity bids; Elstar is one apple variety among several (Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Jazz, Ambrosia) itemized in school nutrition and institutional supply contracts. Issuing bodies span state departments of corrections and mental health, county and municipal school districts, county boards of education, cities operating senior services, health care coalitions, and correctional and child nutrition programs. Texas Department of Criminal Justice has posted multiple fresh produce solicitations for facility food warehouses; school nutrition programs in Georgia, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Illinois dominate the recent activity by volume and frequency; city and county senior services and child care programs issue smaller-scale RFPs and RFBs. Buy American provisions requiring domestic sourcing appear in most school and institutional solicitations.

Recent opportunities cluster in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Mississippi, Connecticut, and Florida. Representative solicitations include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's fresh fruit and vegetable RFQ for Palestine and Snyder food warehouses (responses due October 19 and October 14, 2026 respectively), Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks sourced within 400 miles of Wisconsin (due July 29, 2026, approximately 5,900 servings weekly for elementary students under the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program), Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for fresh produce covering over 200 line items including multiple apple varieties for the 2026–27 school year (due June 26, 2026), Bryan County Schools' sealed bid for fresh produce including estimated 1,024 cases of apples for 2026–27 (due May 27, 2026), and DeSoto County School District's fresh produce procurement across 41 school sites on a cost-plus-fee model with 97% delivery service level (due June 22, 2026). Most school contracts run July through June fiscal years; institutional food service and senior nutrition programs operate year-round. Vendor qualifications commonly include HACCP plans, liability insurance ($500,000 to $1 million), E-Verify enrollment, debarment verification, and compliance with federal nutrition standards and Buy American Act requirements where applicable.