UNSPSC 50531569: Dried non GMO red astrachan apples

The variety of non GMO apples known as non GMO red astrachan apples that have been dried for preservation. 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 50531569 Dried non-GMO red astrachan apples is a Commodity code, but the recent opportunities tagged under it show almost no activity specifically soliciting dried apples; instead, the block contains broad school nutrition and institutional food service contracts where fresh produce—including multiple apple varieties—comprises one line item among hundreds spanning proteins, grains, dairy, snacks, and prepared meals. The code as tagged does not align with the actual work being bought. State and local buyers in this dataset are school districts, county boards of education, state health agencies, and municipal purchasing offices seeking comprehensive food supply contracts that bundle fresh produce, frozen items, canned goods, and related supplies for child nutrition programs, senior meal delivery, and institutional food service. A single commodity code (dried red astrachan apples) does not reflect the scope or granularity of these procurements; vendors pursuing contracts under this code should expect to compete as part of larger food-service distribution and meal-preparation tenders rather than as specialty dried-fruit suppliers.

Recent opportunities span Georgia, Connecticut, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. The Douglas County School System in Georgia issued a Request for Proposal for fresh produce and eggs across a 30-district buying cooperative with estimated annual spending of $5.5 million (RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026), and a separate RFP for food supply and distribution serving 25,500 students at approximately $9 million annually (RFP 26-003, due February 18, 2026). Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut solicited commercial groceries, fresh produce, and USDA Foods with anticipated contract value of approximately $3.1 million for 2026–2027 (RFP 026-41, due February 25, 2026). Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia issued a Master Grocery K-12 invitation for bid for weekly delivery to 45 schools and seven distribution kitchens (IFB 2000004323, due April 27, 2026). The Bulloch County Board of Education in Georgia sought comprehensive food products and supplies for school nutrition across 14 delivery sites (IFB #043025, due May 4, 2026). Activity is concentrated in school district nutrition programs with supporting activity in state agency meal service and senior nutrition programs, but the code as applied shows material mismatch with the commodity definition, signaling either miscoding at the source or a need to verify whether dried-astrachan-apple vendors should be targeting these opportunities or pursuing specialty procurement channels instead.