UNSPSC 50445204: Frozen buffalo onions

The variety of onions known as buffalo onions that have been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50445204 Frozen buffalo onions is a Commodity code that state and local governments procure as part of broader institutional food service contracts, though the recent opportunities block shows no direct solicitations specifically naming frozen buffalo onions. Instead, the code appears within larger frozen-vegetable and institutional-food procurements where frozen specialty vegetables and onion products are components of broader meal-support supply chains. State and local buyers—primarily correctional facilities, school districts, and state-supported living centers—source frozen vegetables including onion varieties through competitive ITBs, RFPs, and IFBs that address multiple frozen-produce line items. Oregon Department of Corrections and Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) facilities are heavy institutional buyers of frozen vegetables; school districts from Fairfax County, Virginia to Early County, Georgia regularly procure frozen-vegetable assortments as part of annual school-nutrition grocery and produce contracts. The character of procurement varies: Texas TDCJ and Oregon DOC issue line-item ITBs for specific frozen-vegetable types with firm fixed pricing per pound; school districts bundle frozen vegetables into larger master-grocery or produce bids spanning hundreds of line items. Pricing reported in comparable frozen-vegetable solicitations ranges from $0.30 to $0.69 per pound depending on product type and case size, with Oregon DOC applying 5–10 percent preferences for in-state processing or resident-headquartered vendors.

Geographic activity concentrates in the Southwest (Texas), Pacific Northwest (Oregon), and Southeast (Georgia, South Carolina). Texas Health and Human Services Commission and TDCJ issued multiple frozen-food and supplemental-food contracts in early 2026 with historical values reaching $4.5 million over three years (HHS0016792). Oregon Department of Corrections posted frozen-vegetable ITBs in April, June, and July 2026 (S2910000016558, S2910000016589, S2910000017451, S2910000017439) with response dates ranging July–August 2026, seeking quantities from 80,000 to 400,000 pounds per solicitation at FOB-destination terms. Representative recent opportunities include the Oregon DOC Frozen Corn ITB (S2910000017451, July 10–24, 2026) requesting 40,000 pounds at historical pricing of $0.498 per pound, and the Texas Health and Human Services supplemental-food IFB (HHS0017449, June 11–July 13, 2026) covering food and consumable products for state-supported living centers with a prior-period historical value of $1.5 million. School-district produce and grocery contracts typically run July through June, with Fairfax County Public Schools (Master Grocery K-12, April 27, 2026 response) and Early County Schools (FY27 Food Bid, June 8, 2026 response) issuing district-wide bids that encompass frozen vegetables alongside fresh and shelf-stable items. Procurement velocity and institutional scale suggest moderate, steady demand across these categories, though no dedicated frozen-buffalo-onion solicitations appear in the recent sample.