Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in the dry condensed and evaporated dairy product manufacturing sector focus on processing raw milk and dairy ingredients into shelf-stable, concentrated forms suitable for retail distribution and industrial food applications. These facilities typically operate continuous or batch production lines where fresh milk undergoes pasteurization, followed by concentration through evaporation or spray-drying techniques to remove moisture. Additional processes often involve the addition of sweeteners, stabilizers, or other flavorings to create specific product profiles ranging from plain evaporated milk to instant reconstituted beverages. The core business activities include raw material procurement, quality control testing, large-scale processing, packaging, and storage to meet strict regulatory standards. Operators range from regional processors supplying local food service chains to large national corporations producing branded goods for supermarket shelves. While some smaller facilities specialize in niche dairy substitutes for specific dietary needs, the majority function as significant industrial plants capable of processing hundreds of thousands of cases daily. The industry serves as a critical upstream supplier for the food manufacturing sector, providing essential inputs for baking, confectionery, and restaurant operations. The scope of these operations is defined by their heavy capital investment in specialized machinery and their centralized location near dairy farms or processing hubs to minimize transportation costs and ensure timely delivery of perishable raw materials.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 311 | Food Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Food Manufacturing subsector transform livestock and agricultural products into products for intermediate or final consumption. The industry groups are distinguished by the raw materials (generally of animal or vegetable origin) processed into food products. The food products manufactured in these establishments are typically sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to consumers, but establishments primarily engaged in retailing bakery and candy products made on the premises not for immediate consumption are included. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing beverages are classified in Subsector 312, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing. |
| 3115 | Dairy Product Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments that manufacture dairy products from raw milk, processed milk, and dairy substitutes (except butter substitutes). |
| 31151 | Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) manufacturing dairy products (except frozen) from raw milk and/or processed milk products; (2) manufacturing dairy substitutes (except frozen) from soybeans and other nondairy substances; and (3) manufacturing dry, condensed, concentrated, and evaporated dairy and dairy substitute products. |
| 311514 | Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in the dry condensed and evaporated dairy product manufacturing sector focus on processing raw milk and dairy ingredients into shelf-stable, concentrated forms suitable for retail distribution and industrial food applications. These facilities typically operate continuous or batch production lines where fresh milk undergoes pasteurization, followed by concentration through evaporation or spray-drying techniques to remove moisture. Additional processes often involve the addition of sweeteners, stabilizers, or other flavorings to create specific product profiles ranging from plain evaporated milk to instant reconstituted beverages. The core business activities include raw material procurement, quality control testing, large-scale processing, packaging, and storage to meet strict regulatory standards. Operators range from regional processors supplying local food service chains to large national corporations producing branded goods for supermarket shelves. While some smaller facilities specialize in niche dairy substitutes for specific dietary needs, the majority function as significant industrial plants capable of processing hundreds of thousands of cases daily. The industry serves as a critical upstream supplier for the food manufacturing sector, providing essential inputs for baking, confectionery, and restaurant operations. The scope of these operations is defined by their heavy capital investment in specialized machinery and their centralized location near dairy farms or processing hubs to minimize transportation costs and ensure timely delivery of perishable raw materials. |
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Classification References
- 01Manufacturing fluid milk products--are classified in U.S. Industry 311511, Fluid Milk Manufacturing;
- 02Manufacturing creamery butter--are classified in U.S. Industry 311512, Creamery Butter Manufacturing; and
- 03Manufacturing cheese products--are classified in U.S. Industry 311513, Cheese Manufacturing.
Index Items
Baby formula, fresh, processed, and bottled, manufacturing
Beverages, dietary, dairy and nondairy based
Casein, dry and wet, manufacturing
Condensed milk manufacturing
Condensed, evaporated or powdered whey, manufacturing
Cream, dried and powdered, manufacturing
Dairy food canning
Dehydrated milk manufacturing
Dietary drinks, dairy and nondairy based, manufacturing
Dry milk manufacturing
Dry milk products and mixture manufacturing
Dry milk products for animal feed manufacturing
Eggnog, canned, nonalcoholic, manufacturing
Evaporated milk manufacturing
Feed grade dry milk products manufacturing
Ice cream mix manufacturing
Ice milk mix manufacturing
Infant's formulas manufacturing
Lactose manufacturing
Malted milk manufacturing
Milk based drinks, dietary, manufacturing
Milk, concentrated, condensed, dried, evaporated, and powdered, manufacturing
Milk, malted, manufacturing
Milk, powdered, manufacturing
Milk, ultra high temperature, manufacturing
Milkshake mixes manufacturing
Mix, ice cream, manufacturing
Nondairy creamers, dry, manufacturing
Nonfat dry milk manufacturing
Powdered milk manufacturing
UHT (ultra high temperature) milk manufacturing
Whey, condensed, dried, evaporated, and powdered, manufacturing
Whipped topping, dry mix, manufacturing
Yogurt mix manufacturing
How Item Can Help
Manages perishable inventory levels and tracks production batches to ensure food safety compliance across cold storage, dry, and evaporated lines.
Optimizes order routing for diverse customer requirements, enabling real-time adjustments to delivery windows for time-sensitive dairy products.
Monitors refrigerated and non-refrigerated shipments to minimize spoilage risks during transit while ensuring timely delivery of temperature-sensitive goods.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 311514.
U.S. Dairy Export Council
Trade organization promoting US exports of processed dairy including condensed and evaporated milk products.
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Government page providing real-time supply, demand, and price statistics for processed dairy products.
National Dairy Council
Industry directory and research site offering historical data and insights on US dairy manufacturing.
