UNSPSC 50521504: Non GMO baldwin apples

The variety of non GMO apples known as non GMO baldwin apples. 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 50521504 Non-GMO Baldwin apples is a Commodity code that encompasses fresh produce supplied to school nutrition programs, though recent state and local solicitations under this code show activity dominated by broader fresh produce procurements rather than Baldwin apples specifically. School districts across Georgia, Texas, and Florida are actively soliciting fresh produce contracts to support National School Lunch Programs, School Breakfast Programs, and USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs, with produce deliveries specified by item, case size, ripeness stage, and temperature requirements. The code attracts school district nutrition departments as primary buyers, supported by cooperative purchasing vehicles such as the GEC Buying Cooperative, which aggregates demand across multiple districts to achieve scale in competitive bidding. Issuing bodies include independent school districts (Madison Metropolitan, McAllen ISD, Austin ISD, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System), county boards of education (Hancock County, Bulloch County, Glynn County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Douglas County), and special purchasing consortia. School nutrition program directors control specification, delivery logistics, and vendor evaluation across all opportunities.

Representative recent solicitations reflect the scope: Madison Metropolitan School District issued RFB 4162 for petite bananas (due July 29, 2026) with weekly usage of 70–90 cases and an estimated annual contract value of $78,000, specifying exact ripeness stages and delivery temperature; Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa solicited proposals for specialty fruits and vegetables under an USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program contract with estimated annual budget of $600,000 (RFP 26039RFPDST, proposals due March 11, 2026); and the Douglas County School System, through the GEC Buying Cooperative, requested fresh produce and eggs for 30 school districts across two Georgia areas with estimated annual spending of $4.4 million for Area One and $1.1 million for Area Two (RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026). Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia (Hancock County, Bulloch County, Glynn County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, Douglas County), with secondary activity in Texas (McAllen ISD, Austin ISD) and Florida (Hillsborough County). Buy American provisions, HACCP plan compliance, liability insurance minimums ($500,000 to $2 million), and USDA food safety certification requirements appear in all recent solicitations; many include local or regional sourcing preferences (within 200–400 miles) and diverse-owned business evaluation criteria at 5–15% of scoring weight.