UNSPSC 50307026: Prickly pears

The type of fruit known as prickly pears

UNSPSC 50307026 Prickly pears, a Commodity code, represents a narrow segment of state and local procurement focused on fresh produce supply to institutional food-service operations. In practice, however, the recent opportunities posted under this code span a far broader range of produce categories — bananas, apples, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, berries, and other fresh fruits and vegetables — indicating that state and local procurement offices regularly tag multi-item produce contracts with a single commodity code rather than itemizing each line separately. The work solicited includes direct institutional supply contracts for correctional facilities, mental health centers, school districts, senior centers, child care programs, regional parks, and healthcare coalitions. Contracts typically require bi-weekly or weekly delivery schedules, compliance with USDA and food-safety regulations, HACCP documentation, commercial general liability insurance ($500,000 to $1 million per occurrence), and adherence to Buy American provisions where applicable. School districts place particular emphasis on whole-grain compliance, nutritional standards, and local-sourcing preferences; correctional and mental health facilities stress produce quality, temperature control, and damage-free delivery with replacement protocols; child care and senior programs often include portion control and ready-to-eat processing requirements.

State and local buyers span Texas Department of Criminal Justice (three recent solicitations for institutional food warehouses in Palestine, Snyder, and Huntsville, Texas), Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health, multiple Georgia school districts (Hancock County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Bartow County, Early County), school districts in Wisconsin and Connecticut, the City of Bridgeport (Connecticut), City of San Antonio, City of Edinburg (Texas), Head Start of Greater Dallas, DeSoto County School District (Mississippi), Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin), Collier County Board of County Commissioners (Florida), and Marion Health Care Coalition. Geographic activity concentrates in Texas, Georgia, and the Upper Midwest, with scattered activity in Connecticut, Florida, and Mississippi. Representative solicitations include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice RFQ for fresh fruit and vegetables to the Palestine facility (due October 19, 2026, IW267376), the Illinois Department of Corrections small-purchase procurement for fresh produce to Joliet Treatment Center (due September 3, 2026, 27426DOCJOLIEB53849), Madison Metropolitan School District's IFB for petite bananas (due July 29, 2026, RFB 4162, estimated annual value $78,000), and the Collier County Board of County Commissioners ITN for food services at North Collier Regional Park (due March 6, 2025, with local-vendor preference worth 10 evaluation points and a three-year term with two one-year renewal options).