UNSPSC 50305107: Peruvian papaya

The papaya, whose scientific name is Carica papaya, belongs to the Caricaceas family, and comes from Central America, probably from the south of Mexico and the north of Nicaragua. It was first discovered by Europeans in 1535 by Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, who reported having seen papaya plants in said region. Its subsequent spread to the Caribbean and South America was due to Spanish and Portuguese conquest and settlement. In these places, papaya is known by different names such as fruta bomba, lechosa, papaw, pawpaw among others. In Peru there are diverse species growing in tropical zones.

UNSPSC 50305107 Peruvian papaya is a Commodity code that in practice captures fresh fruit and vegetable supply to institutional food service operations — school districts, correctional facilities, mental health centers, senior care programs, and municipal departments — rather than the specific produce item named. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers purchasing fresh produce broadly (apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, oranges, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and other items) under this code designation, typically in case quantities delivered bi-weekly or weekly to central warehouses or individual facility sites. The issuing-body mix spans school districts (Madison Metropolitan, Bryan County, Hancock County, Dougherty County, Early County, DeSoto County, and Bartow County in Georgia and Mississippi; Bridgeport Board of Education in Connecticut), state correctional and mental health departments (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Mental Health), county government (Collier County), municipal departments (City of San Antonio, City of Bridgeport, City of Edinburg), Head Start providers, and healthcare coalitions. Texas Department of Criminal Justice appears as a repeat buyer with multiple solicitations for fresh fruit and vegetables to food warehouses.

Geographic activity centers in the Southeast and Texas. Recent opportunities span Texas (TDCJ solicitations for Wynne, Snyder, and Palestine food warehouses; Head Start of Greater Dallas; City of Edinburg), Georgia (Bartow County, Bryan County, Hancock County, Dougherty County, Early County school systems; State of Georgia procurement), Illinois (Illinois Department of Corrections Joliet Treatment Center; Illinois Department of Mental Health Madden Mental Health Center), Mississippi (DeSoto County School District), Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District), Connecticut (Bridgeport Board of Education), and Florida (Collier County). Representative recent opportunities include Texas Department of Criminal Justice requesting proposals for fresh fruit and vegetables to Palestine, Texas (Solicitation IW267376, due October 19, 2026); Madison Metropolitan School District Food & Nutrition requesting bids for petite bananas (RFB 4162, due July 29, 2026, estimated contract value $78,000 for 70–90 cases weekly); Bridgeport Board of Education seeking bids on over 1,100 grocery line items including fresh produce under the National School Lunch Program (BNB052266, due June 30, 2026); and Hancock County Board of Education requesting bids on over 200 fresh produce line items for school year 2026–27 (IFB SN002-2027, due June 26, 2026).