UNSPSC 50404611: Butterhead lettuces

The variety of lettuce known as butterhead lettuces

UNSPSC 50404611 Butterhead lettuces, a Commodity code, represents fresh produce supply contracts for institutional food service — state correctional facilities, mental health centers, schools, senior programs, and state-supported living centers procure butterhead lettuce as part of broader fresh produce awards. Recent state and local solicitations frame the code around weekly or bi-weekly produce deliveries meeting USDA quality standards, packed in specified case quantities, delivered fresh and chilled to institutional warehouses or individual facility locations, with pricing on an F.O.B. Destination basis and vendor responsibility for all transportation costs. The issuing-body mix spans state departments of criminal justice and health/human services, county school systems, city parks and recreation departments, and specialized facilities; Texas Department of Criminal Justice appears as a repeat buyer across multiple fresh-produce RFQs posted in the past four months. School districts dominate the recent activity, with Georgia systems (Dougherty County, Bryan County, Bartow County, Early County) and Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District) issuing fresh-produce bids; Texas state agencies (TDCJ, Texas Health and Human Services Commission) issue procurement across correctional and residential-care facilities. Illinois Department of Mental Health and Department of Corrections, and Florida's Collier County Parks and Recreation also procure under this family.

Geographic concentration is heaviest in Texas, Georgia, and Illinois, with activity in Wisconsin and Florida representing secondary markets. Recent representative opportunities include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice solicitation IW267376 (Fresh Fruit & Vegetables, Palestine, Texas; RFQ, due October 19, 2026); Illinois Department of Corrections IFB 27426DOCJOLIEB53849 (Fresh Produce, Joliet Treatment Center, due September 3, 2026, small-business set-aside); Dougherty County Board of Education sealed-bid procurement for 40 produce line items including lettuce variants (due June 16, 2026); and Bartow County School System RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables sourced within 400 miles, with weighted scoring emphasizing cost (30 points), seasonal variety (25 points), and product quality (15 points). School nutrition programs increasingly weight local and organic sourcing, with pricing preferences (Madison Metropolitan School District applies a $0.20 per pound preference on organic produce) and geographic filters (400-mile sourcing radius) common in recent RFBs. Institutional buyers require USDA-grade compliance, food-safety certifications, prevailing-wage compliance where applicable, and proof of adequate commercial liability and workers' compensation insurance; delivery windows are typically 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Friday-closing bid deadlines standard across the sample.