UNSPSC 50441508: Frozen purple sicilian artichokes

The variety of artichokes known as purple sicilian artichokes that have been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50441508 Frozen purple Sicilian artichokes is a Commodity code that covers specialty frozen vegetable products for institutional food service, though recent state and local solicitations under this code show limited direct activity—the block contains no opportunities explicitly naming Sicilian artichokes or close botanical equivalents. Instead, state and local procurement under related frozen-vegetable categories reflects a broader institutional buying pattern: departments of corrections, health and human services agencies, state hospitals, school districts, and county governments purchase frozen vegetables in bulk for cafeterias, nutrition assistance programs, and inmate feeding operations. The work involves competitive bidding on firm fixed-price contracts for seasonal or year-round supply, with FOB destination delivery, temperature-maintenance requirements, shelf-life specifications, USDA/FDA compliance mandates, and volume commitments spanning tens of thousands of pounds per award.

Recent frozen-vegetable procurement by state and local bodies operates across multiple jurisdictions with Oregon Department of Corrections, Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), New Jersey Department of Human Services, Georgia school districts, Pennsylvania county government, and Illinois state operations as active repeat buyers. The State of Oregon issued multiple ITBs for frozen corn and assorted vegetable blends in summer 2026, awarding on lowest responsive bid with Oregon-fabricated or resident-bidder preferences (combined 10% uplift); Texas HHSC solicited frozen food products across state hospitals and supported living centers with estimated annual volume near $9 million; New Jersey DSS rebid frozen mixed vegetables for nutrition assistance distribution; and Texas school districts (Burke County, Early County) and Georgia school systems (Ben Hill County, Bridgeport) sought frozen vegetables as line items within comprehensive food procurement RFQs and IFBs. Geographic activity concentrates in Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, with scattered activity in Illinois and Connecticut. The code itself does not match the nominated commodity—Sicilian artichokes do not appear in the recent-opportunities block—suggesting either misclassification or dormant demand for this specialty product at the state and local tier.