UNSPSC 50404607: Red leaf lettuce

The variety of lettuce known as red leaf lettuce

UNSPSC 50404607 Red leaf lettuce, a Commodity code, covers fresh leafy produce items that state and local governments procure for school nutrition programs, institutional food service, and child nutrition assistance initiatives. Recent solicitations across school districts, state corrections facilities, and Head Start programs show active demand for lettuce in mixed fresh-produce bundles and standalone produce line items, often bundled with carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, and other vegetables for institutional meal service. The code reflects the real mix of what state and local buyers actually source: whole lettuce heads, pre-cut salad mixes, and bulk produce destined for kitchen preparation at cafeterias, correctional institutions, and senior centers. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with Georgia and Texas school systems posting the most recent activity—Bartow County Schools (RFP), Dougherty County Schools, Glynn County Schools, Bryan County Schools, and Douglas County Schools, among others, all issuing fresh-produce solicitations in April and May 2026. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice issued multiple vegetable and produce bids in June 2026, and Head Start of Greater Dallas, Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida), and Northside Independent School District (Texas) have all sought fresh produce in recent months. Geographic concentration appears strongest in Georgia and Texas, with secondary activity in Florida, Connecticut, and Missouri; many school districts restrict sourcing to produce grown within 200–400 miles as a local-preference condition.

Representative recent opportunities include Bartow County School System (RFP 10-2026-019, due June 22, 2026) seeking local fresh fruits and vegetables with seasonal variety and monthly flexibility for the 2026–2027 school year; Dougherty County Board of Education (sealed bid, due June 16, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.) requesting 40 produce line items including lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes with estimated yearly usage by item; and Madison Metropolitan School District (RFB 4163, due July 29, 2026) procuring approximately 5,900 weekly servings of fresh fruit and vegetable snacks under the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program with sourcing required within 400 miles of Madison and Wisconsin, ready-to-eat packaging, organic produce preference discounts, and traceability documentation by farm of origin. Douglas County School System's cooperative procurement (RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026) spans 30 school districts across two Georgia regions with approximately $4.4 million annual spending in Area One and $1.1 million in Area Two for approximately 72 produce line items including lettuce, with cost-plus net pricing tied to USDA Atlanta Terminal Wholesale Market reports. Evaluation criteria across these opportunities weight cost heavily (30–50 points), followed by quality and compliance (15–30 points), with geographic preference, traceability, and diverse-owned business status adding secondary scoring. Most contracts run July through June with one-year renewal options, delivery typically 5–7 days per week during school hours, and firm pricing for 60–90 days from award with escalation provisions tied to USDA market indexes or CPI data thereafter.