UNSPSC 50454618: Frozen organic mache lettuce

The variety of organic lettuce known as organic mache lettuce that has been frozen for preservation.

UNSPSC 50454618 Frozen organic mache lettuce is a Commodity code that nominally identifies a single fresh-produce item, but the recent state and local procurement activity under this code shows little direct alignment with the category name. The opportunities tagged to this code span broad food-service procurement — school nutrition programs, state food supplies, and child nutrition services — encompassing hundreds of line items across produce, proteins, dairy, grains, and prepared foods. School districts and state agencies are the dominant issuing bodies, with most solicitations under this code actually requesting competitive bids for comprehensive food-service supply contracts or produce-category aggregations that include mache lettuce only as one of many items, if at all. The scope reflects district and state food-service operations that purchase produce through cooperative buying vehicles, line-item bidding structures, and fixed-price contracts with firm pricing across multi-year terms. Vendors must meet HACCP and food-safety compliance, carry $500,000 to $2,000,000 in general liability insurance depending on jurisdiction, comply with Buy American and E-Verify requirements, and maintain temperature-controlled logistics for refrigerated and frozen delivery.

Activity concentrates in Georgia and Missouri, with secondary activity in Texas. The Douglas County School System in Georgia has posted two RFPs — one for fresh produce and eggs (approximately $4.4 million Area One, $1.1 million Area Two, RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026) and one for food supply and distribution services (approximately $9 million annually, RFP 26-003, due February 18, 2026) — both through cooperative buying vehicles serving 18 to 32 school districts. The Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri issued an IFB for over 900 grocery-item line items (due April 29, 2026), the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System in Georgia solicited 72 fresh-produce items (Bid 26-34, due April 23, 2026), City Schools of Decatur in Georgia sought frozen foods and grocery items (IFB, due May 15, 2026), the State of Georgia requested food supplies and other kitchen products (due June 22, 2026), Early County Board of Education in Georgia posted a line-by-line food bid across 300+ items for the National School Lunch Program (due June 8, 2026), and Dallas Independent School District in Texas solicited various food products not available through main commodity bids (RFP, due April 2, 2026). Mismatch between the specific code name and the actual procurement scope suggests this category may be incorrectly tagged in source systems; the code itself shows activity only as part of larger, aggregated food-service procurements rather than as a stand-alone or clearly demarcated commodity line.