UNSPSC 50521505: Non GMO braeburn apples

The variety of non GMO apples known as non GMO braeburn 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 50521505 Non GMO braeburn apples (Commodity) encompasses fresh produce supply to school nutrition programs and child nutrition initiatives across state and local jurisdictions. State and local governments buy fresh fruits and vegetables—including apples, bananas, berries, leafy greens, root vegetables, citrus, and specialty items—under this code to support National School Lunch Programs, School Breakfast Programs, and USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs serving elementary through high school students. Recent solicitations show school districts and school boards are the dominant issuing bodies, with occasional participation from independent school districts in Texas and cooperative purchasing vehicles such as the GEC Buying Cooperative. Work solicited ranges from single-commodity procurements (petite bananas, fresh produce) to comprehensive multi-item annual supply contracts covering 60 to 300+ line items. Vendors must meet strict specifications including HACCP plans, food safety documentation, domestic sourcing preferences under Buy American provisions, product-specific quality standards (shelf life, ripeness grades, temperature control), delivery windows (typically early morning to mid-afternoon on scheduled weekdays), and insurance minimums ranging from $500,000 to $2 million general liability. Geographic preference and local sourcing requirements appear frequently—some districts restrict procurement to produce grown within 200 to 400 miles, while others apply cost preference adjustments (such as $0.20 per pound preference on organic items) or scoring bonuses for in-state or locally grown products.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia school districts and systems (Hancock County Board of Education, Bulloch County, Liberty County, Glynn County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, and the GEC cooperative serving 30 Georgia districts), with additional significant solicitations from Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District), Florida (Hillsborough County Public Schools), and Texas (McAllen ISD, Austin ISD). Representative current opportunities include the Douglas County School System's RFP SN 26-004 for fresh produce and eggs serving 30 districts across two geographic areas with estimated annual spending of $4.4 million for Area One and $1.1 million for Area Two (proposals due March 4, 2026); the Bulloch County School District's IFP for locally-grown produce across 24 items with proposals due May 4, 2026; Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4162 for petite bananas (bids due July 29, 2026) and RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks with USDA grant contingency (bids due July 29, 2026); and Hillsborough County Public Schools' RFP 26039RFQDST for FFVP specialty fruits and vegetables to approximately 18 schools with estimated annual budget of $600,000, with estimated award date of August 4, 2026. Award decisions typically follow lowest responsive and responsible bidder or lowest-cost evaluation frameworks, with price weighting ranging from 30 to 50 percent and evaluation criteria also addressing vendor experience, product quality, geographic/local sourcing, past performance, and diverse-owned business status where applicable.