NAICS 311919 Quarterly Industry Report
Other Snack Food Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311919Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311919 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing snack food 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 snack food enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the other snack food manufacturing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Other Snack Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311919) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing snack foods except roasted nuts and peanut butter, including potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzels, popcorn, pork rinds, cheese puffs, and other salty and savory snack products. These manufacturers process raw potatoes, corn, wheat flour, and other ingredients through frying, baking, extruding, and seasoning processes, then package finished snacks for retail grocery, convenience store, vending, club store, and foodservice distribution. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies other snack food manufacturing separately from roasted nuts (NAICS 311911), cookies and crackers (NAICS 311821), and tortilla manufacturing (NAICS 311830).
The U.S. salty snack market generates tens of billions in annual retail sales, with potato chips leading category volume followed by tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn, and cheese snacks. The FDA[6] regulates snack food labeling, nutritional information, health claims, and food safety standards governing manufacturing and packaging operations. Innovation drives growth through better-for-you formulations (baked, kettle-cooked, vegetable-based), bold and ethnic flavor profiles, premium artisan products, and healthier ingredient platforms including avocado oil and ancient grains.
Business valuations for snack food manufacturers focus on brand portfolio strength and consumer loyalty, manufacturing line capability across multiple product formats, retail distribution breadth and shelf space commitments, and the mix between branded and private-label contract manufacturing revenue. Appraisers evaluate production line speeds, seasoning system flexibility, packaging automation, direct-store-delivery (DSD) versus warehouse distribution models, and the competitive positioning between dominant national brands, regional producers, and fast-growing premium and better-for-you snack brands.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for snack food manufacturing operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn, cheese snacks, and better-for-you product segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311919
- Comparable transaction data from recent snack food company acquisitions, brand portfolio sales, and manufacturing facility purchases
- Market analysis covering salty snack consumption trends, premium and artisan growth, better-for-you innovation, and flavor profile expansion
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for frying operators, seasoning technicians, packaging line workers, route drivers, and quality control staff
- Industry risk assessment including potato and corn commodity cost volatility, consumer health trend shifts, retail shelf space competition, and distribution costs
- Regulatory compliance overview covering FDA labeling and nutritional requirements, acrylamide guidelines, FSMA preventive controls, and trans-fat elimination rules
- Capital expenditure profiles for fryers, extruders, seasoning tumblers, packaging lines, case packers, and route delivery truck fleets
- Production metrics including pounds per line hour, seasoning accuracy rates, packaging speeds, DSD route efficiency, and cost per case benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Other Food Manufacturing | 3119 |
| NAICS Industry | Snack Food Manufacturing | 31191 |
| National Industry | Other Snack Food Manufacturing | 311919 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311911 | Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing | Roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturers producing complementary snack products that share retail snack aisle placement and consumer snacking occasions |
| 311821 | Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing | Cookie and cracker manufacturers competing for consumer snack spending and sharing retail snack aisle shelf space and distribution channel infrastructure |
| 311830 | Tortilla Manufacturing | Tortilla manufacturers supplying tortilla chips classified under snack food manufacturing, sharing corn procurement and Mexican food category presence |
| 424490 | Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers | Other grocery and related products merchant wholesalers distributing snack food products from manufacturers to convenience stores and specialty retailers |
| 424410 | General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers | General line grocery merchant wholesalers distributing snack food products from manufacturing facilities to retail grocery and foodservice customer accounts |
| 445110 | Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) | Supermarkets and grocery retailers operating snack food aisles representing the primary distribution channel for manufactured snack product retail sales |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 15.7% | 73 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 11.2% | 52 |
| 3 | Texas | 8.6% | 40 |
| 4 | Ohio | 5.6% | 26 |
| 5 | Illinois | 4.5% | 21 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 3.9% | 18 |
| 7 | Michigan | 3.6% | 17 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 3.2% | 15 |
| 9 | New York | 3.2% | 15 |
| 10 | Florida | 3.0% | 14 |
% Of Establishments
0%
16%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
224
Total SBA Loans
$55.7M
Total Loan Volume
$249K
Average Loan Size
9 yrs
Average Loan Term
10.99%
Average Interest Rate
2,216
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[9] classifies Other Snack Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311919) with a size standard of 1,250 employees. Snack food producers within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[10] and government contracting preferences, with regional and specialty snack manufacturers accessing capital for production expansion and brand development. 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 | Valley National Bank | 8 | $18.5M | $2.3M |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 16 | $7.5M | $468K |
| 3 | Northeast Bank | 48 | $7.2M | $150K |
| 4 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 16 | $5.4M | $338K |
| 5 | Sanibel Captiva Community Bank | 8 | $3.2M | $400K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for snack food manufacturing?
Other Snack Food Manufacturing is classified under NAICS code 311919, covering potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, and popcorn per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for snack food manufacturing?
The SBA[9] sets the size standard for NAICS 311919 at 1,250 employees, qualifying eligible snack food producers for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are snack food businesses valued?
Valuations focus on brand strength, manufacturing capability, distribution breadth, and branded versus private-label revenue mix per U.S. Census Bureau[13] manufacturing statistics.
What products does NAICS 311919 cover?
Products include potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzels, popcorn, pork rinds, cheese puffs, and other salty snacks per U.S. Census Bureau[5] product definitions.
What trends are driving snack food innovation?
Better-for-you formulations, bold and ethnic flavors, premium kettle-cooked and artisan varieties, vegetable-based snacks, and clean-label ingredient platforms are driving category growth.
What risks affect snack food manufacturers?
Major risks include potato and corn commodity cost volatility, consumer health trend shifts, retail shelf space competition, private-label pricing pressure, and distribution logistics costs.
What regulations apply to snack food manufacturing?
The FDA[6] regulates snack food labeling, nutritional panels, health claims, acrylamide formation guidelines, and FSMA preventive controls for manufacturing operations.
How large is the U.S. salty snack market?
The U.S. salty snack market generates tens of billions in annual retail sales, with potato chips leading volume followed by tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn, and cheese snack categories.
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.