UNSPSC 50521900: Non GMO bearberries

The type of non GMO fruit known as non GMO bearberries. 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 50521900 Non GMO bearberries, a Class code, does not reflect the work state and local governments are actually buying under this classification. The recent opportunities posted against this code involve fresh produce procurement for school nutrition programs, county parks food services, and healthcare coalition catering—spanning fresh fruits, vegetables, and commodity items across multiple categories rather than the specific commodity of non-GMO bearberries. School districts including Madison Metropolitan School District and Hancock County Board of Education are soliciting fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, petite bananas, and broad produce line items (apples, berries, cruciferous vegetables, melons, citrus, leafy greens, peppers, and tomatoes). County parks and nutrition programs, such as Collier County Parks and Recreation and Bartow County School System, are requesting local fresh produce within geographic radius constraints (typically 400 miles). A healthcare coalition and state-level procurement are also active in this space. The mismatch between the code name and the actual procurement activity suggests that this UNSPSC classification is either misapplied to general produce categories or that the code itself has limited real-world use for narrowly specialized items like non-GMO bearberries.

Issuing bodies include school districts (Madison Metropolitan, Hancock County, Bartow County, Early County), county government (Collier County Board of County Commissioners), a healthcare coalition (Marion Health Care Coalition), and state-level procurement (State of Georgia). Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia and Wisconsin, with recent solicitations from Hancock County Schools, Bartow County School System, and Early County Board of Education in Georgia, and Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin. Representative recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4162 for petite bananas with weekly usage of 70–90 cases and estimated annual value of $78,000 (bids due July 29, 2026), Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks requiring Wisconsin sourcing within 400 miles (bids due July 29, 2026), Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for fresh produce spanning over 200 line items with contract period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (bids due June 26, 2026), and Bartow County School System's RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables within 400 miles (proposals due June 22, 2026). Collier County Parks and Recreation issued an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for food services at North Collier Regional Park (proposals due March 6, 2025). School districts emphasize domestic sourcing, HACCP compliance, local-vendor preferences, and Buy American provisions where applicable.