UNSPSC 50405615: Bell peppers

The variety of peppers known as bell peppers

UNSPSC 50405615 Bell peppers (Commodity) represents fresh produce distribution to institutional food service operations, particularly school nutrition programs and criminal justice institutional kitchens. State and local governments procure bell peppers as a component of broader fresh produce contracts that supply cafeterias, school meal programs, and specialized nutrition initiatives such as the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The work involves sourcing, packaging, temperature-controlled delivery, and compliance with food safety certification (HACCP, GAP audit, FDA, USDA standards) and traceability documentation requirements tied to farm-of-origin tracking. School districts dominate the issuing bodies, with additional procurement from specialized institutional operators such as the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Head Start programs, city senior nutrition services, and county school systems. Georgia school districts account for the highest concentration of recent activity, followed by Texas DOJ and Texas school districts, with activity also present in Florida, Missouri, and Connecticut jurisdictions. Issuing bodies typically weight cost heavily in evaluation (often 30–50 points on 100-point scales), with secondary emphasis on quality, seasonal availability, delivery reliability, and vendor qualifications.

Representative recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin), soliciting fresh fruit and vegetable snacks via RFB 4163, with bids due July 29, 2026, for approximately 5,900 weekly servings of ready-to-eat, inspected, pre-packaged produce with 400-mile sourcing and farm-of-origin traceability; Dougherty County Board of Education (Georgia), requesting sealed bids for fresh produce spanning 40 line items including bell peppers, carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes for 24 nutrition sites, with bids due June 16, 2026; and Glynn County Board of Education (Georgia) IFB 27-02, seeking fresh produce for 16 school locations with bids due April 14, 2026, emphasizing once-weekly Tuesday delivery and HACCP compliance. Most contracts run July–June school years with one or more one-year renewal options; pricing typically remains firm for 90 days to one year post-award, with escalation clauses tied to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index verification. Vendors must carry general liability insurance ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, maintain traceability and recall protocols, and comply with Buy American Act domestic sourcing preferences where applicable.