UNSPSC 50301541: Ida red apples

The variety of apples known as ida red apples

UNSPSC 50301541 Ida red apples, a Commodity code, covers fresh apple procurement for state and local government meal programs — principally school nutrition services, child care operations, and senior services. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers purchasing Ida reds alongside broader fresh-produce contracts for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) compliance and USDA school lunch requirements, though most recent opportunities reference mixed apple varieties (Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Jazz) or generic "fresh produce" bundles rather than Ida reds by name. The code sees activity from school districts (primary), municipal/county education boards, Head Start operations, and specialized child nutrition programs, with issuing bodies spanning Texas, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Georgia, Connecticut, Florida, and Oregon. Representative recent solicitations include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB for petite bananas (response July 29, 2026), the City of Edinburg's RFP for CACFP meal supplies including fresh fruits (response August 4, 2026), and Hancock County Board of Education's IFB spanning over 200 produce line items including multiple apple varieties for the 2026–27 school year (bid opening June 29, 2026). Produce specifications in school nutrition bids consistently emphasize domestic sourcing, Buy American compliance, HACCP certification, and weekly delivery logistics.

The geographic spread reflects concentrated activity in the Southeast (Georgia hosts the largest cluster with Hancock County, Dougherty County, Glynn County, Bryan County, Liberty County, and Bulloch County school districts all actively procuring fresh produce), with secondary activity in Texas (McAllen ISD, City of Edinburg, Bartow County), the upper Midwest (Madison Metropolitan in Wisconsin), and individual opportunities in Florida, Connecticut, Mississippi, and Oregon. Most school-district produce contracts run July through June and award on lowest responsive-and-responsible bidder pricing, with firm fixed pricing for initial periods followed by indexed escalation clauses tied to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index data. Insurance requirements typically mandate $500,000 to $2 million general liability coverage, and vendors must provide product traceability, food safety plans, and 24/7 recall accessibility. Many solicitations include local-vendor or geographic-preference provisions (Wisconsin's Madison district, Georgia's Bulloch and Bartow programs), and several encourage small-business, minority-owned, and woman-owned enterprise participation, though formal set-asides are uncommon. Contract values vary widely—McAllen ISD's produce and beverage RFP suggests five-figure monthly spend; Meriden Public Schools' 2026–27 food service contract (produce, beverages, and groceries combined) carries anticipated value of $3.1 million. Ida reds are not named individually in any of the recent summaries; sourcing appears to flow through broader apple-variety bids or general produce distribution agreements where districts specify preferred cultivars but leave final selection to vendor offerings and seasonal availability.