UNSPSC 50524442: Non GMO temple oranges

The variety of non GMO mandarin oranges and tangerines known as non GMO temple oranges. 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 50524442 Non GMO temple oranges is a Commodity code that does not reflect the actual scope of work being solicited under recent state and local opportunities. The posted opportunities are for fresh produce procurement across broad categories—including apples, bananas, berries, broccoli, carrots, citrus, eggs, leafy greens, peppers, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes—to support school nutrition programs, rather than the specific non-GMO temple orange line item that the code nominally describes. School districts and county boards of education dominate the issuing bodies, with solicitations from Madison Metropolitan School District, Hancock County Board of Education, Bulloch County School District, Glynn County Board of Education, Liberty County Board of Education, and others across Georgia, Florida, and Texas. The work being solicited includes weekly or twice-weekly delivery of fresh produce to multiple school sites, often with strict specifications on ripeness, shelf life, packaging, traceability, HACCP plans, Buy American compliance, and food safety certification. Representative recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4162 for petite bananas (due July 29, 2026) at an estimated $78,000 annually and its RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks sourced within 400 miles of Madison (due July 29, 2026); Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for fresh produce spanning over 200 line items (due June 26, 2026); and the Douglas County School System's RFP through the GEC Buying Cooperative for fresh produce and eggs across two geographic areas totaling approximately $5.5 million in estimated annual spending (due March 4, 2026).

Activity concentrates in Georgia and the Southeast, with recent solicitations from Hancock County, Bulloch County, Glynn County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, and Early County school systems, supplemented by opportunities in Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District) and Texas (McAllen and Austin independent school districts). Most procurements are conducted as IFBs or RFPs with sealed bids due in March through July 2026, response cycles typically allowing 4–8 weeks from posting to deadline, and contract periods running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 with renewal options. Evaluation emphasizes cost (30–50 points), product quality and availability, compliance with Buy American requirements and food safety standards, on-time delivery performance, and vendor experience. Geographic preferences for locally sourced or domestically grown produce are common, and diverse-owned business certifications carry modest weight (5–15 points) where noted. The code shows no recent opportunities specifically for non-GMO temple oranges; the mismatch suggests the code assignment in source data does not align with actual procurement activity.