NIGP 38542: Entrees, Meat (Includes Beef and Pork)

NIGP 38542 Entrees, Meat (Includes Beef And Pork), an Item code, covers processed and prepared meat entrees—beef patties, beef brisket, bologna, ham, franks, and similar protein products—procured in bulk for institutional food service across correctional facilities, state hospitals, schools, and parks. State and local governments buying under this code focus on specification-driven purchasing for high-volume consumer feeding with firm, all-inclusive pricing that embeds delivery and freight. Georgia Correctional Industries dominates recent activity, issuing multiple narrow-scope RFQs for individual meat products (beef trim and fat, franks, leg quarters, ham, beef patties, and bologna) with response dates in September and October 2026, all requiring detailed specification compliance and prohibiting generic compliance language such as "comply" or checkmarks. Beyond correctional procurement, issuing bodies include school districts (Bridgeport Board of Education, Early County Board of Education, Northside Independent School District in Texas), state hospital systems (Texas Health and Human Services Commission for Big Spring State Hospital and El Paso State Supported Living Center, Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy), and special-purpose districts (Head Start of Greater Dallas, City of Edinburg parks and recreation via Collier County Board of County Commissioners).

Geographic activity concentrates in Texas, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and Connecticut. Representative recent opportunities include the Georgia Department of Corrections' RFQ for beef trim and beef fat for Georgia Correctional Industries (due October 14, 2026) and Collier County Board of County Commissioners' Invitation to Negotiate for food services at North Collier Regional Park (due March 6, 2025, later corrected to reflect current solicitation status), both IFBs with local-vendor preferences or scoring incentives; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's IFB for frozen food products serving state hospitals statewide (due August 18, 2026, estimated annual value $9 million); and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's IFB for cafeteria food products across five geographic distribution areas (response deadline extended to May 4, 2026). Delivery is universally FOB destination with pricing firm fixed for the contract term; correctional and hospital procurement typically requires 40,000-pound order increments or weekly/monthly standing delivery schedules. School districts and care programs weight menu variety, nutritional compliance, and local sourcing alongside price. Insurance thresholds range from $500,000 to $2 million general liability depending on issuing body and contract scope.