UNSPSC 50301700: Bananas

An elongated usually tapering tropical fruit with soft pulpy flesh enclosed in a soft usually yellow rind produced by any of several widely cultivated perennial herbs (genus musa of the family musaceae, the banana family)

UNSPSC 50301700 Bananas is a Class code under which state and local government agencies procure fresh bananas and plantains for school nutrition programs, child and adult care food programs, senior services, and institutional food service. The recent solicitation record shows that bananas appear as line items within broader fresh produce and grocery procurements rather than as standalone banana-only contracts, with the exception of Madison Metropolitan School District's dedicated RFB 4162 for petite bananas (70–90 cases weekly, $78,000 annual value, ripeness stages 3.5–4.5 per Chiquita color guide, delivery to a single food production center). State and local buyers—primarily school districts, county boards of education, and child nutrition programs—source bananas as part of meal program supply chains serving elementary through high school students and younger children in CACFP and Head Start settings. School nutrition departments are the dominant issuing bodies, with secondary buyers including city and county human services agencies operating senior meal programs and correctional facilities. Geographic activity concentrates in the South and Midwest, particularly Georgia (multiple school districts including Bulloch County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Liberty County, Glynn County, Hancock County, and Henry County), Texas (Edinburg, McAllen, Austin), Florida (Hillsborough County), Connecticut (Meriden), and Wisconsin (Madison). The Petite Bananas RFB from Madison Metropolitan School District exemplifies the code's operational scope: sealed bids due July 29, 2026, for 150-count cases of 5"–5.5" units at specified ripeness, delivery Monday–Friday before 7:00 a.m. to a single warehouse, 98% fill-rate minimum, HACCP plan submission required, and evaluation weighted toward cost (40%), organizational ability (20%), qualifications (15%), diverse-owned business status (5%), prior MMSD experience (10%), and references (10%).

Bananas are universally embedded in commodity-driven school meal procurement—they do not occupy a standalone UNSPSC category for most jurisdictions. Recent activity shows bananas quoted at commodity pricing within large grocery and produce RFPs, IFBs, and RFBs spanning 40–72 produce line items per solicitation. Estimated annual quantities in active solicitations range from 70–90 cases (MMSD, weekly for one facility) to 1,500 cases (Muscogee County, annually across multiple schools). Buy American provisions, HACCP compliance, debarment certification, and E-Verify authorization are standard compliance requirements across all jurisdictions. Payment terms cluster around Net 30–45 days from delivery or invoice. Most contracts run July 1 through June 30 (school fiscal year) and allow renewal for two to five additional one-year terms. No specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises appear in the recent banana-inclusive solicitations; procurement is open to all responsive and responsible bidders meeting insurance, food safety, and delivery capacity standards. The code attracts established produce distributors and food service broadliners with refrigerated logistics and USDA compliance infrastructure; opportunity velocity is steady and seasonal, tied to the school calendar, with solicitation windows typically opening February through June for July 1 contract commencement.