NIGP 385: Foods, Frozen

NIGP 385 Foods, Frozen, a Class code, encompasses frozen food products that state and local governments procure for detention facilities, school nutrition programs, senior services, and institutional canteens. Recent solicitations show state corrections departments, school districts, and county sheriffs buying frozen entrées (corndogs, taquitos, fish sticks, tamales), breakfast items, side dishes, snack products, and specialty prepared foods alongside complementary fresh and dry goods. Issuing bodies span state corrections systems (Missouri, Massachusetts, Texas), independent and unified school districts (Stockton, Granite, Fontana, Belmont, Northside in San Antonio), county detention centers (Orange County, Beaufort County), municipal agencies (California Highway Patrol, City of Boston for youth centers, City of San Angelo for senior nutrition), and institutional food services (Mount Wachusett Community College, New Haven Public Schools). Most solicitations are structured as multi-item IFBs or RFPs with one-year initial terms and renewable periods extending up to five years. Procurement officers emphasize USDA Child Nutrition Program compliance, whole grain and sodium standards, food safety certifications, and product formulation statements documenting nutritional content and ingredient specifications. Buy American provisions appear consistently in school district bids, with domestic agricultural content minimums of 51 percent to 100 percent depending on jurisdiction.

Geographic activity concentrates in California (Stockton Unified, Granite School District, Fontana Unified, Belmont Public Schools, CAL FIRE sack lunches), Texas (Northside ISD San Antonio, HHSC Mexia Living Center, City of San Angelo), Massachusetts (Mount Wachusett Community College, New Bedford schools, Boston BCYF), Florida (Orange County Jails, Palm Bay Aquatic Center operations context, Clay County and Marion County procurement events), and South Carolina (Beaufort County Detention Center). Representative recent opportunities include Stockton Unified School District requesting IFB bids on bread, bakery, and dairy products (ITB 2616, ITB 2617, IFB 262704, IFB 262705) with questions and bids due June–August 2026; Beaufort County's RFP for comprehensive detention center food services (RFP 062226, proposals due June 22, 2026, one-year term with four one-year renewals) requiring a Food Service Director and on-site meal preparation meeting South Carolina detention standards; Missouri Department of Corrections requesting bids on toaster pastries and side dishes for canteen resale (IFB 300000275391475, IFB ER234R7008, proposals due September 2026); and Granite School District issuing an IFB for breakfast, snack, and entrée items (JB26324IFB, bids due May 15, 2026, contract commencing July 1, 2026) with federal fund compliance and four renewal options. School districts typically specify weekly or multi-week delivery windows with food safety documentation, liability insurance minimums of $1 million, and evaluation weighting that prioritizes cost (30–45 percent) alongside specifications compliance and vendor qualifications.