UNSPSC 50306700: Strawberries

The juicy edible usually red fruit of any of several low-growing temperate herbs (genus fragaria) of the rose family that is technically an enlarged pulpy receptacle bearing numerous achenes;

UNSPSC 50306700 Strawberries, a Class code, encompasses fresh fruit and vegetable supply and delivery to institutional food service operations—primarily state correctional facilities, school districts, senior centers, and county parks—where state and local governments procure produce in bulk for meal programs, child nutrition initiatives, and congregate dining. The buying is concentrated among state departments of corrections and departments of mental health, school districts and boards of education (spanning elementary through higher education), counties operating parks and recreational facilities, and municipalities running child care programs under CACFP. Recent solicitations emphasize quality standards, delivery frequency (weekly to bi-weekly), compliance with USDA domestic-sourcing and nutrition regulations, and cost accountability through fixed pricing or cost-plus-fee models. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has posted multiple solicitations for fresh fruit and vegetable supply to correctional food warehouses; the Illinois Department of Corrections and Illinois Department of Mental Health have similarly solicited produce delivery; and school districts across Georgia, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Connecticut, and Texas represent the largest segment of recent activity, typically issuing IFBs or RFBs with formal specifications, HACCP requirements, and insurance mandates.

Geographic concentration is heaviest in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Illinois, with scattered activity in Connecticut, California, Florida, and Mississippi. Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice procurement for fresh fruit and vegetables to the Palestine facility (IW267376, responses due October 19, 2026) and the Snyder and Wynne food warehouses (IW267420 and IW267411, both due October 14, 2026); Madison Metropolitan School District's bid for petite bananas at $78,000 annual value (RFB 4162, due July 29, 2026) and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks with geographic sourcing from within 400 miles of Madison and Wisconsin (RFB 4163, due July 29, 2026); Hancock County Schools' fresh-produce IFB covering 200+ line items across three delivery locations for the 2026-27 school year (bids due June 26, 2026); and DeSoto County School District's produce distribution procurement across 41 school sites on a cost-plus-fee basis (bids due June 22, 2026). School districts commonly apply Buy American provisions, local-sourcing or geographic-preference requirements, diverse-owned business status scoring, and cooperative purchasing eligibility. Institutional buyers increasingly specify organic certification premiums, traceability documentation by farm of origin, ready-to-eat or pre-processed delivery formats, and strict temperature and freshness standards with replacement liability on vendors for damaged or substandard product.