UNSPSC 50131800: Cheese

UNSPSC 50131800 Cheese, a Class code, encompasses the procurement of shelf-stable and fresh cheese products—including sliced, shredded, string, and specialty varieties—for institutional food service, school nutrition programs, and state facility operations. State and local governments solicit cheese under this code through IFB, ITN, and RFP notices issued by school districts, state departments of corrections and health services, counties, municipalities, and state facilities. The work ranges from bulk commodity purchases (individually wrapped cheese sticks for school lunch programs, shredded blend for correctional facilities) to concession-level food service at regional parks, with vendors expected to meet USDA/FDA compliance, specific sodium and nutritional content limits, shelf-life requirements, and temperature control standards.

Recent activity spans Oregon, Texas, Connecticut, Illinois, Florida, California, and Georgia. The Oregon Department of Corrections has posted multiple ITBs for shredded blend cheese and sliced low-sodium varieties totaling 80,000 to 120,000 pounds per solicitation, with historical awards to LA Foods at $1.10–$1.89 per pound. The City of New Haven and Board of Education Food Service posted RFP 2027RFP403 on October 7, 2026, seeking 80,000 portions of individually wrapped cheese sticks for the 2026–2027 school year, with proposals due October 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM and a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on October 14, 2026. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued multiple IFBs in June and August 2026 for frozen food products and supplemental groceries to state hospitals and supported living centers statewide, with estimated annual volumes of $1.5 to $9 million and contract values potentially reaching $19 million over multi-year periods. Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division posted an ITN on October 8, 2026, for food services at North Collier Regional Park, with proposals due March 6, 2025, requiring a qualified vendor to provide diverse food and beverage options including cheese-based items. School districts in Pinellas County, Bridgeport, and Early County have solicited dairy and cheese products through electronic bid portals with contract terms typically running one to three years and renewal options extending to five years total.