NAICS 311422 Quarterly Industry Report
Specialty Canning
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311422Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311422 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing specialty canning manufacturing businesses. Data is sourced from FDA[6] food safety regulations, U.S. Additional data is drawn from [Bureau of Labor Statistics[7].. Census Bureau](https://www.census.gov/) manufacturing statistics, and SBA size standards[8] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for specialty canning enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the specialty canning industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Specialty Canning (NAICS 311422) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing canned specialty foods including canned soups, broths, baby food, baked beans, canned spaghetti and pasta meals, and other canned nationality and prepared food products. These manufacturers combine multiple ingredients into formulated recipes, cook and process them through thermal retort systems, and package the finished products in cans, jars, or shelf-stable pouches for retail grocery and foodservice distribution. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies specialty canning separately from fruit and vegetable canning (NAICS 311421) and frozen specialty food manufacturing (NAICS 311412), recognizing the distinct prepared food formulation and shelf-stable packaging model.
The canned soup segment represents the largest product category within specialty canning, with major branded manufacturers and growing private-label producers competing for consumer shelf space. Industry FDA[6] regulates specialty canned food through thermal processing requirements, nutritional labeling standards, and infant food safety regulations that apply specifically to baby food manufacturers. Consumer demand has shifted toward premium, organic, reduced-sodium, and clean-label formulations, while shelf-stable convenience products maintain strong demand from budget-conscious shoppers and emergency preparedness markets.
Business valuations for specialty canning operations focus on brand recognition and market share within specific product categories, recipe portfolios and proprietary formulations, manufacturing capacity and retort system capability, and distribution relationships with major grocery retailers and foodservice distributors. Appraisers evaluate ingredient sourcing complexity, production line changeover flexibility across multiple recipes, quality assurance programs, and the competitive positioning between branded premium products and private-label contract manufacturing revenue streams.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for specialty canning manufacturing operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across canned soups, baby food, baked beans, prepared canned meals, and organic specialty segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311422
- Comparable transaction data from recent specialty canning company acquisitions, brand sales, and processing facility transactions
- Market analysis covering canned soup consumption trends, baby food innovation, organic growth, and premium shelf-stable product demand
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for batch cooking operators, retort technicians, quality control staff, and packaging line personnel
- Industry risk assessment including ingredient cost volatility, consumer health trend shifts, private-label pricing pressure, and packaging format competition
- Regulatory compliance overview covering FDA thermal processing requirements, baby food safety standards, nutritional labeling, and FSMA preventive controls
- Capital expenditure profiles for batch cooking kettles, retort sterilization systems, filling lines, labeling equipment, and quality testing laboratories
- Production metrics including cases per shift, ingredient yield rates, retort cycle times, changeover efficiency, and cost per case benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 3114 |
| NAICS Industry | Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying | 31142 |
| National Industry | Specialty Canning | 311422 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311421 | Fruit and Vegetable Canning | Fruit and vegetable canning operations sharing thermal processing technology, can packaging supply chains, and shelf-stable food retail distribution channels |
| 311412 | Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing | Frozen specialty food manufacturers competing for consumer prepared meal demand with frozen alternatives to shelf-stable canned specialty food products |
| 311230 | Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing | Breakfast cereal manufacturing operations sharing shelf-stable food retail distribution channels and competing for pantry staple consumer spending allocation |
| 424410 | General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers | General line grocery merchant wholesalers distributing canned specialty food products from manufacturers to independent grocers and institutional buyers |
| 332431 | Metal Can Manufacturing | Metal can manufacturing operations producing steel and aluminum containers used as primary packaging for canned soup, beans, and specialty food products |
| 311999 | All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing | All other miscellaneous food manufacturing operations producing shelf-stable prepared foods that compete with or complement canned specialty food product lines |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 21.3% | 20 |
| 2 | Texas | 11.7% | 11 |
| 3 | Michigan | 8.5% | 8 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 6.4% | 6 |
| 5 | Colorado | 5.3% | 5 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 5.3% | 5 |
| 7 | New York | 5.3% | 5 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 5.3% | 5 |
| 9 | Minnesota | 4.3% | 4 |
| 10 | Ohio | 4.3% | 4 |
% Of Establishments
0%
21%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
24
Total SBA Loans
$10.9M
Total Loan Volume
$456K
Average Loan Size
10 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.25%
Average Interest Rate
120
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[9] classifies Specialty Canning (NAICS 311422) with a size standard of 1,250 employees. Specialty canning producers within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[10] and government contracting preferences, including USDA commodity procurement programs that purchase canned specialty foods for school lunch and federal nutrition assistance programs. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[11] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[12] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Community Bank | 8 | $7.9M | $989K |
| 2 | Northeast Bank | 8 | $2.2M | $275K |
| 3 | DreamSpring | 8 | $820K | $103K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for specialty canning?
Specialty Canning is classified under NAICS code 311422, covering canned soups, baby food, baked beans, and prepared canned foods per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for specialty canning?
The SBA[9] sets the size standard for NAICS 311422 at 1,250 employees, qualifying eligible specialty canning producers for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are specialty canning businesses valued?
Valuations focus on brand recognition, recipe portfolios, manufacturing capacity, retort system capability, and distribution relationships per U.S. Census Bureau[13] manufacturing statistics and industry data.
What products does NAICS 311422 cover?
Products include canned soups and broths, baby food, baked beans, canned spaghetti and pasta meals, and other shelf-stable prepared foods per U.S. Census Bureau[5] product classification definitions.
How large is the canned soup market?
Canned soup represents the largest category within specialty canning, generating billions in annual U.S. retail sales with both branded and private-label products competing for consumer spending.
What risks affect specialty canning operations?
Major risks include ingredient cost fluctuations, consumer preference shifts toward fresh and frozen alternatives, private-label pricing pressure, packaging material costs, and changing nutritional health trends.
What food safety rules apply to specialty canning?
The FDA[6] mandates thermal processing filing and compliance, container integrity testing, nutritional labeling, baby food safety standards, FSMA preventive controls, and acidified food regulations.
What trends are shaping specialty canned foods?
Consumer demand for organic, reduced-sodium, clean-label, and premium formulations is driving product innovation, while shelf-stable convenience and pantry stocking maintain steady baseline demand.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]FDA fda.gov
- [7]U.S. Additional data is drawn from [Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [9]SBA sba.gov
- [10]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [11]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [12]504 loans sba.gov
- [13]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
Disclaimer
This publication has been prepared by Fair Market Value (“Fair Market Value”) for informational purposes only. It is provided on an “as-is” and “as available” basis. Fair Market Value makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, completeness, or accuracy of the data or information contained herein. This publication is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, professional financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Users should consult with qualified professionals before making any financial or business decisions based on the information presented.
To the extent permitted by law, Fair Market Value disclaims all liability for loss or damage, direct and indirect, suffered or incurred by any person resulting from the use of, or reliance upon, the data in this publication.
Copyright © 2026 Fair Market Value. All rights reserved. All data, information, articles, graphs, and content contained in this publication are copyrighted works and Fair Market Value hereby reserves all rights. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded to a third party, or distributed without the prior written permission of Fair Market Value.