Analysis
NAICS 311423 is the 2022 national industry for dried and dehydrated food manufacturing, part of 31142 (Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying). Census lists 19 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 276 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 17,886 people at an average annual payroll of $53,887 per employee (23rd percentile of national industries). 26% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 10% and employment rose 8%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
Census lists 5 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 311212, 311824, 311211 and 311999. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include bouillon made in dehydration plants, dates, dried, made in dehydration plants, dehydrating fruits and vegetables and dehydrating potato products (e.g., flakes, granules), among 19 in all.
Its goods appear in 66 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 0712 (dried vegetables, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder…), 0813 (fruit, dried, other than that of headings 0801 to 0806…) and 0714 (cassava (manioc), arrowroot, salep, Jerusalem artichokes…). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) drying (including freeze-dried) and/or dehydrating fruits, vegetables, and soup mixes and bouillon and/or (2) drying and/or dehydrating ingredients and packaging them with other purchased ingredients, such as rice and dry pasta.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Milling rice and packaging it with other ingredients | 311212 Rice Milling |
| Manufacturing dry pasta and packaging it with other ingredients | 311824 Dry Pasta, Dough, and Flour Mixes Manufacturing from Purchased Flour |
| Manufacturing fruit, grain (except rice), and vegetable flours, meals, and powders | 311211 Flour Milling |
| Mixing purchased dried and/or dehydrated potatoes, rice, and pasta, and packaging them with other purchased ingredients, and mixing purchased dried and/or dehydrated ingredients for soup mixes and bouillon | 311999 All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing dry salad dressing and dry sauce mixes | 311942 Spice and Extract Manufacturing |
Index entries (19)
- Bouillon made in dehydration plants
- Dates, dried, made in dehydration plants
- Dehydrating fruits and vegetables
- Dehydrating potato products (e.g., flakes, granules)
- Freeze-dried, food processing, fruits and vegetables
- Fruit and vegetables, dehydrating, manufacturing
- Fruits dehydrating (except sun drying)
- Grapes, artificially drying
- Noodle mixes made in dehydration plants
- Olives, dried, made in dehydration plants
- Potato products (e.g., flakes, granules) dehydrating
- Prunes, dried, made in dehydration plants
- Raisins made in dehydration plants
- Rice mixes (i.e., uncooked and packaged with other ingredients) made in dehydration plants
- Salad dressing mixes, dry, made in dehydration plants
- Sauce mixes, dry, made in dehydration plants
- Soup mixes made in dehydration plants
- Sulphured fruits and vegetables manufacturing
- Vegetables dehydrating