UNSPSC 51461517: Ginseng

This classification denotes derivations of a natural product which US FDA regulates as an active ingredient or moiety under Unique Ingredient Identifier CUQ3A77YXI, but varieties of which US FDA regulates as an active ingredient or moiety under Unique Ingredient Identifiers E35T4MOI3E, E7XOU43ESD, EP0RRQ7J9A, GD1Z9GY1FW, GQX1C1175U, IQC2WQS369, J337CNM3CW, KYV09BQ2YN, P9T4K47OM0, RS4X1U56YO, V038D626IF, YL6KN21IL2, ZQH6VH092Z, ZUR2T81ETV, ZX5Z2LW23O, 0DAF87OMMD, 0G05EWL44O, 0P067WOA1X, 02VJ3CEY9G, 2E0DVE4XPS, 2HZ95R7082, 3K198YD54P, 3V5S2B524J, 5DWS84R85M, 8W75VCV53Q, 9L5JEP7MES, 76AI4Q0335, 80K66AHT6U, and 99C8CDD94H, which the Integrated Taxonomic Information System classifies under Taxonomic Serial Number 29371 as a member of Kingdom Plantae, Subkingdom Viridaeplantae, Infrakingdom Streptophyta, Division Tracheophyta, Subdivision Spermatophytina, Infradivision Angiospermae, Class Magnoliopsida, Superorder Asteranae, Order Apiales, Family Araliaceae (ginseng), commonly known as GINSENG, of which there are many children, including Aralia, Cheirodendron, Dendropanax, Eleutherococcus, Fatsia, Hedera, Hydrocotyle, Kalopanax, Meryta, Neopanax, Oplopanax, Osmoxylon, Panax, Polyscias, Pseudopanax, Schefflera, and Tetrapanax.

UNSPSC 51461517 Ginseng is a Commodity code nominally covering herbal supplements and botanical products, but the recent state and local procurement activity under this code does not reflect ginseng or related herbal remedies. The single recent opportunity sourced shows a significant mismatch between the code assignment and the actual work being solicited. The Minnesota Multistate Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (MMCAP), administered by the Minnesota Department of Administration's Office of State Procurement, issued an RFP in January 2026 for generic multi-source pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter (OTC) products—a scope that encompasses conventional drugs, not botanical supplements. Vendors are required to supply products through three authorized wholesalers (AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, Cardinal Health, and Morris & Dickson Co., LLC), provide detailed product information by National Drug Code (NDC), and demonstrate compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). This is a cooperative purchasing vehicle spanning state and local government facilities across multiple states, including Minnesota and Oregon, suggesting the code may be capturing misclassified pharmaceutical opportunities rather than actual ginseng procurement.

The activity is concentrated in the Upper Midwest, with MMCAP's multistate model indicating broader geographic reach. The RFP closed March 26, 2026, with questions due by February 18, 2026, and contracts were to be effective July 1, 2026. Evaluation criteria weighted price competitiveness at 75 percent, with 10 percent for fixed pricing, 5 percent each for compliance with administrative format requirements, EDI capability, and agreement to a 3 percent administrative fee. The code shows no current relevant activity for ginseng procurement; firms pursuing herbal supplement or botanical product opportunities with state and local buyers should verify actual code assignment before submitting responses, as this commodity designation does not align with recent state or local solicitation patterns.