UNSPSC 50521588: Non GMO twenty ounce apples

The variety of non GMO apples known as non GMO twenty ounce 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 50521588 Non-GMO twenty ounce apples, a Commodity code, represents state and local procurement of fresh produce for school nutrition programs, though the recent opportunities block shows divergence between the code's nominal scope and actual buying patterns. School districts across the Southeast are soliciting fresh produce through RFPs, RFQs, IFBs, and ITBs, with orders spanning bananas, berries, leafy greens, root vegetables, and specialty items rather than apples alone. Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin) posted RFB 4162 for petite bananas due July 29, 2026, projecting $78,000 annual value and requiring 70–90 cases weekly during school sessions with specific ripeness and temperature standards; the same district simultaneously issued RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks sourced within 400 miles of Madison, due the same date. Hancock County Board of Education (Georgia) released IFB SN002-2027 for fresh produce spanning over 200 line items—apples (Ambrosia, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Jazz varieties), berries, cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, melons, citrus, leafy greens, and specialty items—with delivery to three school sites, bids due June 26, 2026. Early County Board of Education (Georgia) solicited 300-plus food items including fresh fruits and vegetables under a June 8, 2026 deadline. Issuing bodies are overwhelmingly school districts and boards of education—including Bartow County, Bulloch County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, Glynn County, McAllen Independent, Austin Independent, and Douglas County systems—with occasional state-level activity (Georgia state procurement posted May 15, 2026 for food, supplies, and kitchen products).

The geographic concentration is heavily weighted toward Georgia and Texas school districts, with secondary activity in Wisconsin, Florida, and other states. Representative opportunities cluster in the March-to-July 2026 window: Bulloch County School District issued an Invitation for Proposal (IFP) on April 3, 2026, for locally-grown produce (24 items within 200 miles) for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, proposals due May 4, 2026, supporting a Farm to School program serving 11,200 students across 14 schools; Liberty County Board of Education posted concurrent IFBs (Nos. SN002-2026-000000049 and 000000050) on March 30, 2026, for purchase and distribution of food products and produce on annual fixed-price contracts with prospective price redetermination, sealed bids due April 29, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., covering over 400 food items and approximately 60 produce line items to supply 13 school delivery points; and Muscogee County School District (Georgia) issued ITB 26-017 on March 27, 2026, for approximately 60 fresh produce line items with pricing calculated as dollar markup above USDA Fruit and Vegetable Market News Index Price, bids due April 27, 2026. Evaluation criteria across these solicitations consistently weight cost at 30–50%, product quality and availability at 15–30%, vendor qualifications and experience at 10–20%, and compliance (HACCP, Buy American, food safety certifications) as mandatory pass-fail requirements. Most contracts run September 1 through June 30 or July 1 through June 30 with renewal options, and nearly all require HACCP plans, $1 million or greater liability insurance, compliance with Buy American provisions favoring domestic commodities, and weekly delivery to multiple school sites with 98–99% fill-rate guarantees. The code shows substantial recent activity driven by back-to-back school nutrition procurement cycles, though characterizing it as "concentrated" on apples alone misreads the actual buying scope—fresh produce procurement for institutional child nutrition is the operative market.