UNSPSC 50406415: Orange sweet potatoes

The variety of sweet potatoes known as orange sweet potatoes

UNSPSC 50406415 Orange sweet potatoes is a Commodity code covering fresh sweet potato procurement by state and local nutrition programs, institutional food service operations, and school districts. State and local governments procure sweet potatoes primarily through two channels: school nutrition programs buying for child meal service under federal child nutrition reimbursable rules, and correctional and institutional facilities sourcing bulk quantities for canning or food service. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has emerged as a repeat buyer, issuing multiple solicitations for sweet potatoes for canning operations under standardized competitive bidding procedures. School districts source sweet potatoes as components of broader fresh produce contracts serving breakfast and lunch programs across multiple campuses, often incorporating local or farm-to-school sourcing preferences where budget and supply permit. Requirements typically include USDA compliance, HACCP certification, delivery to multiple sites within specified temperature windows, and traceability documentation.

Activity under the code concentrates in Texas and Georgia. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice issued IFB IW253121 for sweet potatoes for canning with bids due June 23, 2026, requiring electronic submission through the TDCJ Procurement Portal via Bonfire Hub. In Georgia, the Bartow County School System solicited local fresh fruits and vegetables including sweet potatoes through RFP 10-2026-019 with a June 22, 2026 proposal deadline, requiring vendors to source from farms within 400 miles and deliver to the central warehouse in Cartersville; the Bulloch County School District similarly sought locally grown produce including sweet potatoes for its Farm to School program in an IFP due May 4, 2026, specifying a 200-mile local production requirement. Beyond these specific sweet potato opportunities, broader fresh produce procurements in Texas and Georgia—including Dougherty County Board of Education, Northside Independent School District (San Antonio), and Hillsborough County Public Schools (Tampa)—regularly include sweet potatoes within larger fruit and vegetable line-item bids. Pricing in school contracts reflects both commodity market rates and local-sourcing premiums, with some districts applying cost adjustments tied to USDA market reports or consumer price index data. Texas applies service-disabled veteran preferences under 34 TAC Rule 20.306 to certain sweet potato procurements.