Analysis
NAICS 311942 is the 2022 national industry for spice and extract manufacturing, part of 31194 (Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturing). Census lists 23 example activities under it in the official index.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 14% and employment rose 17%. 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.
County Business Patterns counts 473 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 25,339 people at an average annual payroll of $74,455 per employee (61st percentile of national industries). 31% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
By establishments it ranks 1st of the 2 codes at this level within Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturing, with 55.7% of them.
Census lists 12 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 311421, 311941, 311422 and 325998. 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 cake frosting mixes manufacturing, chili pepper or powder manufacturing, extracts, food (except coffee, meat), manufacturing and extracts, malt, manufacturing, among 23 in all.
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) manufacturing spices, table salt, seasonings, flavoring extracts (except coffee and meat), and natural food colorings and/or (2) manufacturing dry mix food preparations, such as salad dressing mixes, gravy and sauce mixes, frosting mixes, and other dry mix preparations.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing catsup and other tomato-based sauces | 311421 Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
| Manufacturing mayonnaise, dressings, and prepared sauces (except tomato-based and gravy) | 311941 Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing canned liquid gravies | 311422 Specialty Canning |
| Manufacturing industrial salts | 325998 All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing |
| Drying and/or dehydrating ingredients for dry soup mixes and bouillon | 311423 Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing |
| Mixing purchased dried and/or dehydrated ingredients for dry soup mixes and bouillon | 311999 All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing flavoring syrups (except chocolate and coffee-based syrups) | 311930 Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing |
| Mixing purchased dried and/or dehydrated potato, rice, and pasta and packaging them with other purchased ingredients, and manufacturing prepared frosting | 311999 All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing coffee extracts and/or coffee-based syrups | 311920 Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing liquid meat extracts from slaughtered or purchased carcasses | 31161 Animal Slaughtering and Processing |
| Manufacturing synthetic food colorings | 325130 Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing natural organic colorings for nonfood uses | 325199 All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing |
Index entries (23)
- Cake frosting mixes manufacturing
- Chili pepper or powder manufacturing
- Extracts, food (except coffee, meat), manufacturing
- Extracts, malt, manufacturing
- Flavor extracts (except coffee) manufacturing
- Food coloring, natural, manufacturing
- Food extracts (except coffee, meat) manufacturing
- Fruit extracts manufacturing
- Gravy mixes, dry, manufacturing
- Grinding spices
- Hop extract manufacturing
- Malt extract and syrups manufacturing
- Pectin manufacturing
- Pepper (i.e., spice) manufacturing
- Salad dressing mixes, dry, manufacturing
- Salt substitute manufacturing
- Salt, table, manufacturing
- Sauce mixes, dry, manufacturing
- Seasoning salt manufacturing
- Spice grinding and blending
- Spice mixtures manufacturing
- Spices and spice mix manufacturing
- Table salt manufacturing