UNSPSC 50402909: Scarola verde chicory

The variety of chicory known as scarola verde chicory

UNSPSC 50402909 Scarola verde chicory, a Commodity code, sees limited direct procurement activity under this specific designation; state and local governments buying fresh produce through institutional food service solicitations do not typically isolate leafy greens by variety. The code sits within broader fresh produce and fresh vegetable procurement that spans institutional cafeterias, school nutrition programs, correctional facilities, and senior services. What drives activity under the leafy-greens tier of produce purchasing is volume contracting for central warehouses, bulk canning operations, and ready-to-eat processing for school meal programs, not specialty item acquisition. Recent procurement activity across the produce family shows substantial volume flowing through institutional channels, particularly Texas Health and Human Services Commission facilities, Texas Department of Criminal Justice operations, and school district nutrition programs, though solicitation documents rarely specify produce varieties granularly at the commodity level.

Issuing bodies include state health and corrections departments (Texas HHS, Texas TDCJ, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Mental Health), county and municipal school nutrition programs (Bartow County Schools, Bryan County Schools, Dougherty County Schools, Early County Schools, Madison Metropolitan School District), regional transit and facility operators (Collier County Parks and Recreation, Marion Health Care Coalition), and specialized service providers (Head Start of Greater Dallas). Texas agencies repeat as high-volume buyers, particularly for food warehousing and meal operations. Geographic concentration favors Texas, Illinois, Georgia, and Wisconsin, with activity spanning May through October 2026. Representative solicitations include the Texas TDCJ Fresh Fruit & Vegetables RFP for Palestine (IW267376, due October 19, 2026), the Illinois Department of Corrections fresh produce IFB for Joliet Treatment Center (27426DOCJOLIEB53849, due September 3, 2026, small business set-aside), and the Bartow County School System local fresh fruit and vegetable RFP (10-2026-019, due June 22, 2026 with 400-mile sourcing requirement). The code itself shows no recent sole-source or specialty volume, suggesting opportunity lies in aggregated supply agreements across multiple institutional locations rather than commodity-specific procurement.