UNSPSC 50525805: Non GMO autumn giant plums

The variety of non GMO plums known as non GMO autumn giant plums. 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 50525805 Non-GMO autumn giant plums is a Commodity code that in recent state and local practice spans a much broader range of fresh produce procurement than the code name suggests. School districts and other public nutrition programs buy bananas, apples, berries, leafy greens, root vegetables, stone fruits, citrus, melons, and eggs under solicitations tagged to this code or closely related commodity codes. The work consists of sourcing, storing, and delivering fresh produce to school nutrition programs serving National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meals, as well as to USDA-funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program sites at elementary schools. State and local issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and county boards of education across multiple states, with one state-level Georgia food procurement and several cooperative purchasing vehicles (the GEC Buying Cooperative) also active. Vendors must maintain HACCP plans, traceability systems, and food safety certifications including GAP audit certificates where required; comply with Buy American provisions mandating domestic sourcing or at least 51 percent domestic agricultural commodity content in processed items; and deliver on tight schedules (early morning, multiple times weekly, with 98 percent or higher fill-rate service levels).

Recent activity is concentrated in Georgia and Texas school districts, with notable volume in McAllen ISD (Texas), Austin ISD (Texas), Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools (Georgia), Douglas County Schools (Georgia via GEC cooperative), Glynn County Board of Education (Georgia), Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin), and Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida). Representative recent solicitations include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4162 for petite bananas (due July 29, 2026, estimated annual value $78,000), McAllen ISD's RFP 2026-1029 for fresh produce across 31 campuses (deadline extended, award within 90 days of proposal submission), Austin ISD's RFP 26RFP034 for fresh produce and beverages (due March 11, 2026), and the Douglas County Schools' RFP SN 26-004 through GEC for 30-district cooperative covering approximately $5.5 million in combined estimated annual fresh produce and egg spending (proposals due March 4, 2026). School districts typically employ RFP, RFB (request for bid), and IFB (invitation for bid) vehicles with contract terms running July 1 through June 30 annually. Evaluation heavily weights cost (30–50 points), product quality and availability, vendor qualifications and experience, references, and compliance with Buy American and food safety mandates; diverse-owned business status and local sourcing preferences appear in several district RFPs but are not universal set-asides. Multi-vendor awards on a line-item basis are common, allowing districts to split supply across qualified vendors based on lowest pricing and product quality for individual items.