UNSPSC 50315850: Organic mariposa plums

The variety of organic plums known as organic mariposa plums

UNSPSC 50315850 Organic mariposa plums, a Commodity code, nominally targets a single produce item but the recent state and local solicitations assigned this code reflect actual school nutrition procurement across a much broader spectrum of fresh produce, eggs, and prepared items rather than organic mariposa plums specifically. The code sees active use by school districts and boards of education across the Southeast and Southwest, particularly in Georgia and Texas, soliciting fresh fruits, vegetables, and related food-service items through RFPs, RFQs, IFBs, and ITBs. State and local buyers under this code are primarily school nutrition programs serving elementary through high schools and pre-K centers, supplemented by occasional state-level food service procurement; the issuing bodies include individual school districts (Madison Metropolitan, Hancock County, Bartow County, Bulloch County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, Glynn County, McAllen Independent, Austin Independent, Douglas County) and regional purchasing consortia (GEC Buying Cooperative). Core work solicited includes weekly or twice-weekly delivery of produce in bulk cases and pre-packaged servings—apples, bananas, berries, broccoli, carrots, leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, and specialty items—to multiple school sites with HACCP plans, food safety documentation, Buy American compliance, and firm pricing for 12-month contract terms. Many districts weigh cost at 40 percent and emphasize local or regional sourcing (within 200–400 miles) and organic or premium produce options, though the majority of spend remains conventional fresh produce.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia (Hancock County, Bartow County, Bulloch County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, Glynn County, Douglas County) and Texas (McAllen Independent, Austin Independent), with secondary activity in Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan) and Florida (Hillsborough County). Representative recent solicitations include Madison Metropolitan School District Food & Nutrition Department RFB 4162 for petite bananas (70–90 cases weekly, $78,000 estimated annual value, bids due July 29, 2026), Hancock County Board of Education IFB for fresh produce spanning over 200 line items across multiple apple varieties, berries, root vegetables, and specialty items (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, bids due June 26, 2026), Douglas County School System RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative covering 30 districts across two geographic areas with approximately $4.4 million and $1.1 million annual spending estimates (bids due March 4, 2026), and Hillsborough County Public Schools RFP 26039RFQDST for a USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program cost-plus fixed-fee contract serving 18 elementary schools ($600,000 estimated annual budget, proposals due March 11, 2026). Most districts require annual fixed prices with prospective redetermination pegged to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index indices, carry $500,000 to $2 million general liability insurance mandates, and reserve the right to award to single or multiple vendors on a line-item basis. The code shows little activity outside school nutrition, and the mismatch between the nominal scope (organic mariposa plums) and the actual procurement (institutional fresh produce and food-service items across diverse categories) suggests the code is either overly narrow or inconsistently applied by state and local procurement offices.