Analysis
NAICS 31191 is the 2022 NAICS industry for snack food manufacturing, part of 3119 (Other Food Manufacturing). Census lists 15 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 758 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 68,548 people at an average annual payroll of $58,597 per employee (30th percentile of national industries). 31% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Census lists 7 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 31182, 31199, 3113 and 31122. 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.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 10% and employment rose 15%. 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.
Across its national industries Census lists 15 index entries; typical ones are canned nuts manufacturing and cheese curls and puffs manufacturing.
Its goods appear in 25 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 2008 (fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, otherwise…), 1202 (peanuts (ground-nuts), not roasted or otherwise cooked…) and 1905 (bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers' wares…). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) salting, roasting, drying, cooking, or canning nuts; (2) processing grains or seeds into snacks; (3) manufacturing peanut butter; and (4) manufacturing potato chips, corn chips, popped popcorn, pretzels (except soft), pork rinds, and similar snacks.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing crackers | 31182 Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing unpopped popcorn | 31199 All Other Food Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing chocolate or candy-coated nuts and candy-covered popcorn | 3113 Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing soybean, sunflower, and other oilseed butters | 31122 Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing soft pretzels | 31181 Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing dried and smoked meat snacks (except pork rinds) | 31161 Animal Slaughtering and Processing |
| Preparing and selling snacks (e.g., popcorn, pretzels) for immediate consumption | 72251 Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
Index entries (15)
- Canned nuts manufacturing
- Cheese curls and puffs manufacturing