UNSPSC 50192902: Shelf stable plain pasta or noodles

UNSPSC 50192902 Shelf stable plain pasta or noodles is a Commodity code under which state and local governments procure dried pasta products—rotini, spaghetti, elbow macaroni, egg noodles, and fettuccine—for institutional food service. Recent solicitations show school districts, state corrections and health agencies, and state purchasing offices buying pasta in volumes ranging from 40,000 pounds to over 335,000 pounds annually, with products meeting USDA Commercial Item Description standards, FDA labeling requirements, and nutritional specifications including minimum protein content and whole grain percentages where mandated. The issuing bodies span state purchasing divisions (Oregon Department of Corrections, California Department of General Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Criminal Justice via the Comptroller's office), school districts (Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, Rockwood School District in Missouri, Ben Hill County Schools in Georgia, Burke County Public Schools in Georgia, Douglas County School System in Georgia), municipalities (City of Bridgeport, Connecticut), and county/state institutional food service programs (DeKalb County School District in Georgia). School districts and institutional food service providers dominate the recent activity, seeking pasta as part of larger grocery or school nutrition contracts.

Geographic activity concentrates in California, Texas, Georgia, Oregon, Virginia, Connecticut, and Missouri based on recent postings. Representative recent solicitations include the Oregon Department of Corrections' ITB for 40,000 pounds of rotini (response due July 24, 2026) with a historical award price of $0.51 per pound; the California Department of General Services' IFB for five pasta product lines totaling approximately 335,400 pounds annually, ranging from small elbow macaroni to rotini spiral, with an anticipated annual spend of $281,612.46 and a bidders' conference on June 8, 2026; Fairfax County Public Schools' IFB for Master Grocery K-12 term contract (response due April 27, 2026) encompassing multiple food categories including pasta for 52 school sites plus distribution facilities; and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's IFB for cafeteria food products including pasta, rice, and grains (response due May 4, 2026, extended via addendum) across five geographic distribution areas. Buy American Act compliance and minimum domestic agricultural content (51 percent) requirements appear in school district and institutional solicitations. Pricing is typically firm fixed with FOB destination and freight prepaid, delivery windows are narrow (30–40 days post-order or scheduled intervals), and shelf-life requirements range from 60 days to one year minimum at delivery. Insurance requirements for contractors commonly include $500,000 to $1,000,000 general liability per occurrence and $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 aggregate.