UNSPSC 50404620: Red headed lettuces

The variety of lettuce known as red headed lettuces

UNSPSC 50404620 Red headed lettuces is a Commodity code. State and local governments procure fresh lettuce and mixed greens primarily for school nutrition programs, senior services, and institutional food operations. Recent solicitations reflect heavy concentration in school meal programs driven by federal USDA Child Nutrition Reimbursable requirements and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; lettuce appears as a line item across nearly every school district produce bid posted in the last four months. Issuers span school districts of varying size (from small rural systems to major urban districts like Northside ISD and Austin ISD), county school boards, and occasional state institutional buyers such as the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for inmate food service. A secondary but growing segment includes city senior services operations and Head Start child care programs, both of which source fresh produce under federal nutrition program requirements.

Solicitation activity concentrates heavily in Georgia and Texas, where school districts represent the dominant buyer category. Representative recent opportunities include the Hillsborough County Public Schools (Tampa, Florida) Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program RFP (due March 11, 2026) seeking specialty fruits and vegetables for 18 elementary schools with FFVP federal funding; the Northside Independent School District (Bexar County, Texas) RFP 2026-048 (due May 7, 2026) for fresh produce delivery to 117 campuses across the San Antonio area; Bartow County School System (Georgia) RFP 10-2026-019 (due June 22, 2026) emphasizing locally sourced produce within 400 miles; and the Douglas County School System (Georgia) RFP SN 26-004 (due March 4, 2026) serving 30 school districts across two regions with estimated annual produce spending of approximately $5.5 million combined. Competitive dynamics favor vendors with HACCP certification, demonstrated school nutrition experience, refrigerated delivery capability, and ability to meet USDA Buy American and quality standards. Most school district contracts feature line-item awards allowing multiple vendors and run July through June on one-year terms with renewal options. Pricing pressure is moderate to high, as evaluation typically weights cost at 35–50 percent of scoring and production is indexed to USDA market reports; however, institutional scale and recurring annual awards create stable, predictable revenue streams for established produce suppliers.