UNSPSC 50344443: Frozen thornton oranges

The variety of mandarin oranges and tangerines known as thornton oranges that have been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50344443 Frozen thornton oranges, a Commodity code, describes frozen citrus products procured by state and local governments, though recent opportunities show this code being applied to broad grocery and food service procurement rather than oranges specifically. State and local issuing bodies—primarily school districts, state health agencies, and county correction facilities—are soliciting frozen and fresh produce as components of comprehensive food service contracts. The work ranges from single-commodity frozen fruit procurements to full-scope grocery bidding spanning hundreds of line items including proteins, dairy, produce, and consumable supplies. School nutrition programs dominate the activity, supported by USDA funding mechanisms including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; state health systems procure for institutional food service at state hospitals and state-supported living centers; and county correction and sheriff facilities procure for inmate meals. Bidders face stringent compliance requirements including Buy American provisions (typically 51 percent domestic agricultural content), HACCP certification, food recall procedures with 24/7 accessibility, and nutritional standards tied to federal programs. Contracts typically run one year with multiple renewal options; pricing is firm fixed or tied to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index benchmarks; and delivery occurs multiple times weekly to central warehouses and individual school or facility locations.

Geographic activity concentrates in Georgia, Texas, and California, with secondary presence in Connecticut, Missouri, Oregon, and Florida. Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's IFB HHS0017660 for groceries at Big Spring State Hospital (bids due July 27, 2026, approximately $32,226 prior-year spend); the City of Bridgeport's procurement of over 1,100 grocery line items for the Board of Education Food & Nutrition Services (bids due June 30, 2026, with Buy American and Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act compliance); Head Start of Greater Dallas' IFB 26-GP for approximately 32,409 cases of frozen foods, produce, and meat ($969,460.94 estimated value, sealed bids due June 24, 2026); the Douglas County School System Georgia RFP 26-003 for food supply and distribution services ($9 million estimated annual expenditure, bids due February 18, 2026); and Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for over 200 fresh produce line items (bids due June 26, 2026). Award is typically made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder or best value, with districts retaining flexibility to split awards across multiple vendors by line item or location.