UNSPSC 50403902: Bitter gourd

The variety of gourds known as bitter gourd

UNSPSC 50403902 Bitter gourd, a Commodity code, covers fresh produce items supplied to state and local government institutions for school nutrition, senior services, corrections, and child care programs. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers procuring bitter gourd as part of mixed fresh produce line-item bids rather than as a stand-alone commodity, with the code appearing alongside apples, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes in institutional food service contracts. The work actually being bought reflects weekly or seasonal delivery of fresh produce meeting USDA nutritional standards, HACCP compliance, traceability documentation, and temperature-controlled logistics to multiple school sites, correctional facilities, and senior centers. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with repeat solicitations from Georgia school systems (Bartow County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Glynn County, Bulloch County, Henry County, Savannah-Chatham County) alongside Texas school districts (Northside Independent, McAllen Independent, Austin Independent), Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for inmate food service, and Head Start child care programs. State procurement offices in Georgia and Texas issue cooperative purchasing vehicles and blanket IFBs for produce aggregating multiple districts' demand.

Geographic concentration is heavy in Georgia and Texas, with secondary activity in Florida (Hillsborough County Schools), Missouri (Rockwood R-VI School District), Connecticut (Meriden Public Schools), and South Carolina (Savannah-Chatham County). Representative recent opportunities include Bartow County School System RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables (proposal due June 22, 2026, contract July 20, 2026–June 30, 2027), Madison Metropolitan School District RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks (bids due July 29, 2026, contract September 1–November 30, 2026), Dougherty County Board of Education sealed-bid procurement for fresh produce covering 40 line items with 24 school nutrition sites (bids due June 16, 2026), and Texas Department of Criminal Justice IFB IW253079 for carrots (bids due June 23, 2026). Most procurements weight cost at 30–50%, with 15–25% for seasonal variety and product quality, emphasize local or domestic sourcing, require $500,000–$2,000,000 general liability insurance, mandate HACCP certification and traceability, and run annual cycles (July 1–June 30) with one- to four-year renewal options. Award is typically to lowest responsive and responsible bidder on a line-item basis with possible multiple vendors per produce category.