Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing
Description
The Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing sector specializes in the production of various types of grain-based breakfast foods through complex processing methods. These establishments transform raw grain ingredients into the ready-to-eat or reconstituted cereals found in supermarkets across North America. Typical business activities include milling, toasting, and coating grains to enhance flavor, texture, and shelf stability while ensuring safety and nutritional standards. The process often involves extensive blending, drying, and packaging operations that can range from simple cereal bars to elaborate frosted flakes or granola clusters. Operators in this field vary from small-scale family-owned bakeries focused on artisanal or specialty grains to massive multinational corporations dominating global markets. While smaller entities might concentrate on regional distribution or niche dietary options like gluten-free or organic varieties, large manufacturers produce a vast array of branded products distributed internationally. This industry is characterized by high capital intensity, sophisticated technological requirements for consistent product quality, and the need for rigorous regulatory compliance. The scope extends beyond simple food production, encompassing significant logistics, marketing, and retail partnership strategies essential for competing in a saturated consumer market.
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. |
| 3112 | Grain and Oilseed Milling 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in milling flour or meal from grains or vegetables, manufacturing malt, wet milling corn and other vegetables, crushing oilseeds and tree nuts, refining and/or blending vegetable oils, and manufacturing breakfast cereals. |
| 31123 | Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 311230. |
| 311230 | Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | The Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing sector specializes in the production of various types of grain-based breakfast foods through complex processing methods. These establishments transform raw grain ingredients into the ready-to-eat or reconstituted cereals found in supermarkets across North America. Typical business activities include milling, toasting, and coating grains to enhance flavor, texture, and shelf stability while ensuring safety and nutritional standards. The process often involves extensive blending, drying, and packaging operations that can range from simple cereal bars to elaborate frosted flakes or granola clusters. Operators in this field vary from small-scale family-owned bakeries focused on artisanal or specialty grains to massive multinational corporations dominating global markets. While smaller entities might concentrate on regional distribution or niche dietary options like gluten-free or organic varieties, large manufacturers produce a vast array of branded products distributed internationally. This industry is characterized by high capital intensity, sophisticated technological requirements for consistent product quality, and the need for rigorous regulatory compliance. The scope extends beyond simple food production, encompassing significant logistics, marketing, and retail partnership strategies essential for competing in a saturated consumer market. |
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Classification References
- 01Manufacturing nonchocolate-coated granola bars and other types of breakfast bars--are classified in Industry 311340, Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing;
- 02Manufacturing chocolate-coated granola bars from purchased chocolate--are classified in U.S. Industry 311352, Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate;
- 03Manufacturing chocolate-coated granola bars from cacao beans--are classified in U.S. Industry 311351, Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans; and
- 04Manufacturing coffee substitutes from grain--are classified in Industry 311920, Coffee and Tea Manufacturing.
Index Items
Breakfast cereals manufacturing
Corn breakfast foods manufacturing
Farina, breakfast cereal, manufacturing
Flour mills, breakfast cereal, manufacturing
Grain mills, breakfast cereal
Grain, breakfast cereal, manufacturing
Granola, cereal (except bars and clusters), manufacturing
Hominy grits, prepared as cereal breakfast food, manufacturing
Infant cereals, dry, manufacturing
Instant hot cereals manufacturing
Mix grain breakfast manufacturing
Oatmeal (i.e., cereal breakfast food) manufacturing
Oats, breakfast cereal, manufacturing
Oats, rolled (i.e., cereal breakfast food), manufacturing
Rice breakfast foods manufacturing
Wheat breakfast cereal manufacturing
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External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 311230.
USDA Market Reports
Government resource providing statistical data and market analysis on cereal commodities.
FDA Food Facility Search
Database allowing public verification of the food manufacturing facility status and licenses for cereal producers.
