UNSPSC 50443900: Frozen gourds

The type of vegetable known as gourds that has been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50443900 Frozen gourds (Class) is primarily applied to frozen vegetable products supplied to state corrections facilities, school districts, and health and human services agencies—specifically frozen corn, carrots, assorted vegetable blends, and mixed vegetables rather than gourd-specific items. State and local governments buy these products in bulk, typically 40,000 to 400,000 pounds per solicitation, for institutional food service operations. The Oregon Department of Corrections, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, state health and human services commissions, and school districts across Georgia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and other states regularly solicit frozen vegetable commodity supplies. School nutrition programs constitute a substantial portion of activity, with districts purchasing frozen vegetables as components of broader grocery and food service contracts supporting child nutrition and National School Lunch Program requirements. Corrections facilities and state-operated living centers drive steady demand year-round, with procurement structured around bulk warehouse delivery and multi-truckload shipments. Issuing bodies span state agency purchasing departments (corrections, health services), county and municipal corrections authorities, independent school districts, and county boards of education. The Oregon Department of Corrections appears across multiple recent opportunities, indicating institutional volume contracts and repeat procurement cycles. Georgia school districts—including Bulloch County, Burke County, Early County, Savannah-Chatham, Decatur City Schools—and Texas school districts show concentrated activity. Procurement notice types are predominantly Invitations to Bid (ITB and IFB), with response windows typically 4 to 6 weeks from posting.

Recent activity concentrates in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. The Oregon Department of Corrections posted at least four frozen vegetable solicitations between February and July 2026 (frozen carrots due March 5; frozen assorted vegetables due April 22 and April 23; frozen corn due July 24), with volumes of 80,000 to 400,000 pounds and delivery to Salem. Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued multiple supplemental food solicitations (HHS0016792V2 in February, HHS0017449 in June) serving statewide institutional networks, with volumes supporting 23 qualified ordering entities and estimated contract values reaching $4.5 million over three years. School districts across Georgia (Bulloch, Burke, Early, Decatur, Savannah-Chatham) and Missouri (Rockwood, Ben Hill) posted food bids in March through June 2026 encompassing frozen vegetables as line items within broader grocery procurements. The Oregon Department of Corrections applies 5 percent preferences each for Oregon-fabricated goods and resident bidders, with historical pricing references for competitive positioning—frozen corn at $0.498 per pound (Alpine Food, August 2025), frozen carrots at $0.42 per pound (National Food Group, March 2026), assorted blend at $0.665 per pound (Alpine Food, January 2026), and potato products at $0.3811 per pound (JNS Foods, January 2026). Buy American provisions dominate school district solicitations, requiring minimum 51 percent domestic agricultural content with vendor documentation at bid submission, and USDA compliance (FDA/USDA standards, HACCP plans, food recall procedures, proper temperature and shelf-life maintenance) is standard across all issuing bodies. Most institutional solicitations award on low-bid basis to responsive, responsible vendors and permit multiple awards by line item or group.