UNSPSC 50304605: Cantaloupe melons

A muskmelon (cucumis melo reticulatus) having a rind with netted tracery and reddish orange flesh

UNSPSC 50304605 Cantaloupe melons is a Commodity code covering the supply and delivery of fresh cantaloupes to state and local institutional food service operations. State and local governments procure cantaloupes primarily as input to school nutrition programs, correctional facility dining, mental health facility food services, senior center meal distribution, child care food programs under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and regional park concession operations. Procurement volume is typically measured in case quantities, with specifications tied to USDA quality standards, ripeness criteria, packaging requirements, and delivery temperature controls. Issuing bodies include state departments of corrections and mental health, county and city school districts, county boards of education, municipal human services departments, regional mental health centers, and county parks authorities. School districts dominate the code's activity, reflecting their role as the largest institutional food buyers at the state and local level.

Recent procurement activity concentrates in Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Mississippi. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has issued multiple fresh fruit and vegetable solicitations (including IW267376 for Palestine and IW267411 for Wynne Food Warehouse, both with response deadlines in October 2026) covering produce supply to correctional facilities; these solicitations do not separately itemize cantaloupes but treat them as part of broader fresh fruit categories. School districts across Georgia (Bryan County Schools RFB due May 27, 2026; Hancock County Board of Education IFB due June 26, 2026; Dougherty County Board of Education RFB due June 16, 2026; Bartow County School System RFP due June 22, 2026) have issued fresh produce bids specifying case quantities and delivery windows, typically running through the school year with options for renewal. Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin issued RFB 4162 for petite bananas (due July 29, 2026) with a $78,000 estimated annual value, demonstrating specific fresh-fruit procurement at the commodity level. Illinois Department of Mental Health's Madden Mental Health Center and Illinois Department of Corrections' Joliet Treatment Center both posted fresh produce contracts in August 2026. The code shows persistent, recurring demand tied to institutional meal cycles rather than episodic purchasing, with contract terms commonly running July through June to align with school and fiscal years and frequently including one- to four-year renewal options.