UNSPSC 50151516: Margarine and similar preparations

Semi-solid butter substitute derived from vegetable oils

UNSPSC 50151516 Margarine and similar preparations is a Commodity code capturing butter substitutes, oleo, and margarine products that state and local governments procure primarily as food service supplies for institutional kitchens and dining operations. Recent state and local solicitations under this code show margarine and oleo appearing as line items within broader grocery and cafeteria food procurements rather than as standalone buys. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice issued a direct margarine solicitation (IW251320) with a May 29, 2026 deadline, while the broader institutional food buys—including the Texas Comptroller's cafeteria food products bid for TDCJ warehouse distribution (304T26300CF, due May 4, 2026) and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Big Spring State Hospital groceries IFB (HHS0017660, due July 27, 2026)—list oleo margarine and similar dairy product substitutes as specified line items. Issuing bodies are predominantly state agencies managing correctional facilities, state-supported living centers, and state hospitals, though school districts and Head Start child care programs also procure margarine as part of broader food service contracts. Geographic activity concentrates in Texas, with secondary activity in Georgia and Missouri among school districts participating in cooperative purchasing or direct nutrition services bids.

Recent representative opportunities include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's targeted margarine solicitation (IW251320, May 29, 2026 deadline) and the Texas Comptroller's Cafeteria Food Products IFB (304T26300CF, extended to May 4, 2026) specifying oleo margarine among 382 line items for six TDCJ warehouse distribution points across Texas. The HHSC Big Spring State Hospital IFB (HHS0017660, due July 27, 2026) covers approximately 110 grocery line items with dairy-product substitutes included, pricing on firm fixed-unit rates, a historical annual spend of $32,226.36, and a September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027 contract term. School-level procurement appears in the Rockwood R-VI School District Child Nutrition Services bid (Missouri, due April 29, 2026) and the Douglas County School System's Food Supply and Distribution RFP (Georgia, due February 18, 2026), both of which embed margarine or oleo within comprehensive food service line items rather than isolating it as a category. Margarine activity in state and local procurement is thin and largely embedded within larger institutional food contracts; standalone margarine solicitations are infrequent.