UNSPSC 50405602: Arbol peppers

The variety of peppers known as arbol peppers

UNSPSC 50405602 Arbol peppers, a Commodity code, represents a narrow slice of the fresh produce procurement market at the state and local level, with recent activity concentrated in school nutrition programs and institutional food service. State and local governments procure fresh peppers — including but not limited to arbol peppers — primarily as part of broader fresh produce supply contracts for child nutrition, school meal programs, and correctional facility operations, where peppers appear as line items within larger fruit and vegetable portfolios rather than as sole procurement objects. The issuing bodies are predominantly K–12 school districts and state departments managing nutrition programs, with occasional procurement by county school systems, city school systems, and state agencies operating institutional food service. Vendors supplying under this code typically bid against indexed market pricing (USDA terminal market reports and Atlanta wholesale pricing) and must meet HACCP certification, food safety documentation, Buy American compliance, general liability insurance minimums of $500,000 to $2 million, and delivery to multiple school sites within specified windows, often Monday through Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The geographic center of recent activity is Georgia and Texas, with secondary procurement in Florida, Connecticut, and Missouri. The Bartow County School System in Georgia (Cartersville) solicited local fresh fruits and vegetables including peppers through RFP 10-2026-019, due June 22, 2026, requiring sourcing within 400 miles and evaluating on cost, seasonal variety, ordering and delivery proficiency, product quality, and customer support. The Dougherty County Board of Education in Georgia (Albany) requested sealed bids for fresh produce including peppers under IFB 016-SNS-2027, due June 16, 2026 at 11:30 a.m., with estimated line-item usage quantities and FOB Destination delivery to 24 sites. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has issued multiple IFBs for bulk produce including carrots (1,200 tons under IW241979-A, due March 17, 2026) and sweet and white potatoes for canning, suggesting institutional procurement of commodity vegetables at volume. The Douglas County School System in Georgia coordinated a cooperative RFP through GEC Buying Cooperative covering 30 districts across two areas with approximately $4.4 million annual spending for Area One, due March 4, 2026. Arbol peppers do not appear as a named line item in any posted opportunity; the code shows limited recent standalone activity and sits within broader fresh-produce-for-school-nutrition solicitation streams where vegetables compete on indexed pricing and performance metrics rather than on product exclusivity.