UNSPSC 50414509: Organic ruby romaine lettuce

The variety of organic lettuce known as organic ruby romaine lettuce

UNSPSC 50414509 Organic ruby romaine lettuce is a Commodity code that does not reflect the actual scope of what state and local school districts and related agencies are procuring at this level. Recent solicitations tagged with this code show school nutrition programs buying comprehensive fresh produce assortments—apples, bananas, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, leafy greens, citrus, potatoes, berries, and eggs—as multi-item annual contracts rather than single-commodity lettuce lines. The issuing bodies are predominantly school districts (including independent and county systems) across Georgia, Texas, Missouri, and Florida, with occasional state agency participation; districts ranging from 6,900 students (Rockwood R-VI, Missouri) to 83,000+ (Northside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas) are the dominant buyers. School districts issue these procurements as RFPs, IFBs, and ITBs to support National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program operations, with some districts emphasizing Farm to School models and USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program participation. The code does not reflect this broader institutional produce-distribution market accurately.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia school districts (Liberty County, Glynn County, Bulloch County, Savannah-Chatham County, Muscogee County, Douglas County through the GEC Buying Cooperative, and the State of Georgia procurement office), with secondary activity in Texas (Northside Independent School District, McAllen Independent School District, Austin Independent School District), Missouri (Rockwood R-VI), and Florida (Hillsborough County Public Schools). Representative solicitations include the Bulloch County School District's IFP for locally grown produce with 24-item line items due May 4, 2026; Northside Independent School District's RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce delivery to 127 campuses five days weekly due May 7, 2026; Hillsborough County Public Schools' RFP for fresh fruit and vegetable program supply to 18 elementary schools due March 11, 2026; and the Douglas County School System's RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative covering 30 districts across two Georgia areas with estimated combined spending near $5.5 million and proposals due March 4, 2026. Contracts typically run July 1 through June 30, include renewal options, and require firm pricing, HACCP certification, Buy American compliance, and delivery to multiple school sites within tight service windows (usually 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays).