UNSPSC 50404509: Whole Red Lentils

Red lentils are the fastest cooking lentil, but they lose their shape easily and become mushy, making them unsuitable for recipes that call for green or brown lentils. Whole red lentils will require a longer cooking time than split red lentils. WFP food convention.

UNSPSC 50404509 Whole Red Lentils, a Commodity code, does not appear in the recent state and local contract opportunities reviewed. The ten opportunities posted between February and July 2026 solicited fresh produce, eggs, and comprehensive grocery items for school nutrition programs and child care food services, but none specified whole red lentils or legume products as line items. The opportunities instead focused on fresh apples, bananas, berries, cruciferous vegetables, carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens, onions, citrus fruits, potatoes, and eggs as primary procurement targets, with broader groceries encompassing proteins, dairy, breads, and prepared entrees to support K-12 meal programs.

The geographic spread of recent activity centers on Georgia, Texas, Connecticut, Missouri, and Florida, with secondary activity in Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Issuing bodies include school districts (Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Eugene School District 4J in Oregon, Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin, Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut, Rockwood R-VI in Missouri, Hillsborough County in Florida, and six Georgia school districts through the GEC Buying Cooperative), city governments (Bridgeport, Connecticut and Edinburg, Texas), and state procurement offices (Georgia Department of Agriculture). The lack of whole red lentil solicitations suggests minimal current demand for this commodity at the state and local level, or that lentils are procured under broader food service contracts as components of prepared meals rather than as standalone commodity bids.