UNSPSC 50304105: Eureka lemons

The variety of lemons known as eureka lemons

UNSPSC 50304105 Eureka lemons (Commodity) captures fresh produce procurement, though recent state and local solicitations under this code span a broader basket of fresh fruits and vegetables rather than Eureka lemons specifically. State and local governments buy fresh produce to supply institutional food programs—school districts, correctional facilities, mental health centers, senior services, child care programs, and other social-services agencies. The work is straightforward: vendors supply, deliver, and often replace substandard or damaged product on demand. School districts and state departments of corrections account for the bulk of recent activity; additional buyers include county boards of education, city departments of human services, health coalitions, and Head Start organizations. Scope varies by issuing body and program funding. School nutrition programs procure produce under National School Lunch Program or Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirements, often with strict Buy American thresholds (typically 51 percent domestic agricultural content for processed items), HACCP compliance, and temperature-control and delivery-schedule mandates. Correctional and mental health facilities order weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of specified items—apples, bananas, root vegetables, leafy greens, tomatoes—with emphasis on cost control and supply reliability. Several recent solicitations impose geographic sourcing requirements, particularly school districts seeking local produce sourced within 400 miles to qualify for evaluation preference.

Recent activity clusters heavily in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Mississippi, and Florida. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice posted three produce solicitations (Palestine, Snyder, Wynne food warehouses) in late September and early October 2026, all with October response deadlines. Georgia school districts—Hancock County, Bartow County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, and Early County—issued sealed-bid RFPs or IFBs for school-year produce supply between May and June 2026, most with June contract-start dates. The Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health sought fresh produce under small-purchase procurement in August 2026 (Joliet Treatment Center and Madden Mental Health Center, respectively). Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin) bid petite bananas and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks in July 2026 for school-year performance. The City of Bridgeport Board of Education (Connecticut) solicited over 1,100 line items of grocery products including produce in June 2026. Head Start of Greater Dallas and the City of Edinburg Child and Adult Care Food Program also posted in June and August 2026. DeSoto County School District (Mississippi) sought fresh produce in June 2026. Most school district contracts run July through June or September through June and include one to four optional renewal years. Award typically goes to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, though many districts reserve the right to make multiple awards or split sourcing. Insurance requirements are standard: general liability of $500,000 to $1 million, workers' compensation as required by law, and often naming the procuring entity as additional insured. Set-asides and preferences favor small business, minority-owned, woman-owned, and locally certified diverse enterprises where enabled by state law (Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Georgia each support such programs), and local-vendor preferences are common in school and county procurement.