UNSPSC 50403909: Spiny bitter gourd

The variety of gourds known as spiny bitter gourd

UNSPSC 50403909 Spiny bitter gourd is a Commodity code representing a specific produce item, but state and local procurement activity under this code is sparse and indirect. The recent opportunities block contains no solicitations explicitly naming spiny bitter gourd; instead, the code appears incidentally within broader fresh-produce and food-service contracts that span multiple vegetable and fruit items generically. State and local governments buy fresh produce—including spiny bitter gourd where regionally sourced or specified—primarily through institutional food-service contracts for correctional facilities, state-supported living centers, schools, mental health centers, and senior programs. The issuing bodies are predominantly state departments (Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Mental Health) alongside school districts (Madison Metropolitan School District, Bartow County Schools, Dougherty County Board of Education, Bryan County Schools, Early County Schools) and county or city entities (Collier County, City of San Antonio, Marion Health Care Coalition). These buyers source produce through consolidated food-service RFPs and IFBs that bundle vegetables, fruits, and related items under single solicitations rather than by individual commodity code.

Texas dominates recent activity, with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice issuing multiple fresh-produce solicitations for food warehouses and correctional facilities between June and October 2026, while the Texas Health and Human Services Commission solicited food-service consumables for state-supported living centers. Georgia school systems (Bartow County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Early County) and Illinois state agencies (Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health) also posted fresh-produce bids during the same period. Representative recent solicitations include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice IFB IW267420 for fresh fruit and vegetables delivered to Snyder Food Warehouse (due October 14, 2026), the Illinois Department of Corrections RFQ 27426DOCJOLIEB53849 for fresh-produce delivery to Joliet Treatment Center with bi-weekly service (due September 3, 2026 under a small-business set-aside), and the Dougherty County Board of Education sealed-bid procurement for fresh produce across 24 school nutrition sites with 40 line items (due June 16, 2026). Spiny bitter gourd is not called out as a line item in any of the posted solicitations examined; pursuit under this specific code should focus on regional produce-supply contracts in jurisdictions with populations from South Asian, Southeast Asian, or Caribbean heritage where the commodity is a dietary staple.