UNSPSC 50131705: Whey

Water remained after filtering and solidifying milk when producing cheese.

UNSPSC 50131705 Whey (Commodity) covers fluid milk and dairy product sourcing for school nutrition programs, with state and local procurement activity concentrated in school district food-service contracts that bundle whey-containing products alongside broader grocery procurement. Recent solicitations show school districts acquiring fluid milk (whole, 1%, skim, and flavored varieties), string cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, and heavy cream as line items within comprehensive food-supply bids supporting the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The issuing bodies are exclusively school districts and school boards—Hancock County Board of Education, Ben Hill County Schools, Coffee County Schools, Early County Board of Education, Burke County Public Schools, City Schools of Decatur, Rockwood R-VI School District, Columbia County School District, and Fulton County Schools—with no state agencies or non-education municipalities appearing in the recent pipeline. Milk and dairy products are typically procured as elements of larger food-supply contracts rather than standalone items, though some districts issue separate milk-only IFBs (Hancock County, Decatur, and earlier Coffee County solicitations). All contracts require Buy American compliance (minimum 51% domestic agricultural content), HACCP food-safety protocols, liability insurance, and firm fixed pricing with limited escalation provisions tied to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index data.

Geographic activity clusters in the Southeast, particularly Georgia (Ben Hill County, Burke County, Columbia County, Douglas County, Fulton County, Coffee County, and Early County schools), with additional activity in Connecticut (City of Bridgeport), Texas (HHSC El Paso State Supported Living Center), Missouri (Rockwood R-VI), Florida (Seminole County, referenced in ice cream procurement but part of broader school nutrition), and Virginia (Fairfax County Public Schools). Representative recent opportunities include Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for milk and dairy products with bids due June 26, 2026, covering 8-ounce and gallon containers plus string cheese and yogurt for three school locations; Ben Hill County Schools' June 15, 2026 food bid (IFB #26271) encompassing milk and dairy within 400+ line-item grocery procurement; and Decatur City Schools' April 2026 milk-only IFB (IFB 26-006) for Grade A pasteurized fluid milk delivered to ten school locations. Contract terms typically run July 1 through June 30 with renewal options up to three to four additional years, and all milk-and-dairy vendors must maintain 33°F to 40°F cold chain, provide stock rotation by sell-by date (minimum 10–14 days from delivery), and maintain state-documented milk fat and bacteria-count certifications.