UNSPSC 50444607: Frozen red leaf lettuce

The variety of lettuce known as red leaf lettuce that has been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50444607 Frozen red leaf lettuce is a Commodity code describing a specific produce item that state and local governments procure primarily through institutional food service contracts for schools, correctional facilities, and state-supported living centers. The recent solicitation activity shows that frozen lettuce is rarely solicited as a standalone line item; instead, it typically appears as part of broader frozen vegetable or produce procurement bundles. When frozen vegetables are solicited, they are usually combined with other frozen produce (corn, green beans, assorted blends, potatoes) or with comprehensive grocery packages spanning proteins, grains, dairy, and supplies. Issuing bodies include state departments of corrections (Oregon, Texas), state health and human services agencies (Texas HHS Commission), county corrections departments (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania), school districts (Gwinnett County, Georgia; Burke County, Bridgeport, Early County in Georgia; Ben Hill County, Georgia), and state veterans' homes (Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy). School districts represent the largest single category of buyers under related produce codes, driven by National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program requirements; correctional facilities and state-supported living centers are secondary but consistent buyers.

Geographic activity clusters in the South and Midwest. Texas appears most frequently, with multiple HHS Commission solicitations for state hospitals and supported living centers across the fiscal year, plus TDCJ cafeteria procurements. Oregon posts regular frozen vegetable bids through the Department of Corrections. Georgia school districts (Burke County, Early County, Ben Hill County, Gwinnett County) solicit food service contracts annually, and Pennsylvania (Montgomery County) solicits quarterly for correctional facilities. Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy posts quarterly food orders. Representative recent opportunities include the Oregon Department of Corrections ITB S2910000017692 for frozen vegetables (360,000 pounds across broccoli, assorted blends, corn, and green beans) due August 20, 2026; the Texas HHS Commission IFB HHS0017338 for frozen food products across state hospitals and supported living centers due August 18, 2026, with an estimated annual volume of approximately $9 million; and Ben Hill County Schools IFB #26271 for comprehensive food products including frozen produce due June 15, 2026. Frozen vegetables in these institutional contexts must typically comply with USDA/FDA standards, HACCP protocols, minimum shelf-life requirements (often six months), specific temperature specifications at delivery (0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit), and FOB destination delivery to central warehouses or distributed school sites. Pricing is submitted per unit (pound or case) on fixed-price bases with delivery and transportation included; Oregon and Texas both allow partial-quantity bidding on specific vegetable types.