Analysis
NAICS 311991 is the 2022 national industry for perishable prepared food manufacturing, part of 31199 (All Other Food Manufacturing). Census lists 17 example activities under it in the official index.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 22% and employment rose 20%. 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 1,032 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 73,598 people at an average annual payroll of $51,476 per employee (19th percentile of national industries). 33% 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 All Other Food Manufacturing, with 54.2% of them.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include box lunches (for sale off premises) manufacturing, carrots, cut, peeled or sliced fresh, manufacturing, cole slaw, fresh, manufacturing and egg noodles, fresh, manufacturing, among 17 in all.
Its goods appear in 1 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 1902 (pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed (with meat or other…). 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 manufacturing perishable prepared foods, such as salads, sandwiches, prepared meals, fresh pizza, fresh pasta, and peeled or cut vegetables.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Preparing and selling food for immediate consumption | 72251 Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
Index entries (17)
- Box lunches (for sale off premises) manufacturing
- Carrots, cut, peeled or sliced fresh, manufacturing
- Cole slaw, fresh, manufacturing
- Egg noodles, fresh, manufacturing
- Food, prepared, perishable, packaged for individual resale
- Fruit, cut or peeled, fresh, manufacturing
- Macaroni, fresh, manufacturing
- Noodles, fresh, manufacturing
- Pasta, fresh, manufacturing
- Pizzas, fresh, manufacturing
- Potatoes, peeled or cut, manufacturing
- Prepared meals, perishable, packaged for individual resale
- Salads, fresh or refrigerated, manufacturing
- Sandwiches, fresh (i.e., assembled and packaged for wholesale market), manufacturing
- Slaw, cole, fresh, manufacturing
- Tofu (i.e., bean curd) (except frozen desserts) manufacturing
- Vegetables, cut or peeled, fresh, manufacturing