UNSPSC 50131800: Cheese

UNSPSC 50131800 Cheese is a Class code covering the supply of cheese products — shredded blends, sliced varieties, string cheese, and commodity cheese products — to state and local institutions including correctional facilities, schools, state-supported living centers, and food service operations. State and local buyers procuring under this code span state departments of corrections and health and human services, school districts, and special-purpose purchasing cooperatives. Recent solicitations include the Oregon Department of Corrections seeking 80,000 pounds of shredded blend cheese under ITB S-29100-00017434 (response due July 23, 2026) and the California Department of General Services issuing a pre-solicitation RFI on mozzarella string cheese availability statewide (responses due July 8, 2026), signaling near-term formal competitive solicitation for string cheese supply.

Geographic activity concentrates in the Pacific Northwest and California, with substantial secondary activity in Texas, Georgia, Connecticut, and Missouri. Oregon has posted multiple recent opportunities for shredded blend and sliced cheese procurement through its Department of Corrections, with historical pricing in the $1.15–$1.89 per-pound range. Texas Health and Human Services Commission has solicited supplemental food and consumable products including cheese items for state hospitals and supported living centers statewide, with contract values reaching $4.5 million over multiple renewal periods. School districts — including Bridgeport Board of Education (Connecticut), Rockwood R-VI (Missouri), Henry County Schools (Georgia), and the Lighthouse Purchasing Co-op serving 34 Connecticut and Rhode Island schools — have solicited grocery bundles that include cheese as a line item within broader food commodity RFPs and ITBs. Institutional food service demand emphasizes compliance with Buy American provisions, HACCP standards, specific sodium or nutritional thresholds, gluten-free certification, and firm fixed pricing for multi-year terms. Award patterns favor lowest responsive and responsible bids meeting detailed specifications, with Oregon applying regional preferences (5–10 percent) for Oregon-fabricated goods and resident bidders.