Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing
Description
Establishments classified under this code specialize in producing ready-to-eat frozen bakery items excluding bread, creating a distinct market segment within the broader food manufacturing sector. These facilities focus on baking and freezing cakes, pies, tarts, and other pastry goods for mass consumption or commercial distribution. Typical business activities involve large-scale dough preparation, precise baking cycles, automated filling for pre-sliced items, flash freezing to lock in quality, and rigorous packaging to maintain integrity during shipping. Operators range from large industrial bakeries that supply national chains to smaller regional producers serving local grocery stores. The scope of these businesses covers full-service operations that manage everything from raw ingredient sourcing to final product labeling, as well as contract manufacturing for specific brand requirements. Production volumes vary significantly, with major factories capable of outputting thousands of units daily to meet national demand, while smaller units prioritize niche flavors or regional preferences. The industry relies heavily on consistent supply chains for perishable ingredients like dairy, flour, and fruit. Regulatory compliance regarding food safety standards is a central operational focus due to the nature of frozen foods requiring specific temperature controls. This sector supports consumers seeking convenience alongside food service outlets needing reliable, high-quality pastries for retail shelves and catering events throughout the year.
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. |
| 3118 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in one of the following: (1) manufacturing fresh and frozen bread and other bakery products; (2) retailing bread and other bakery products not for immediate consumption made on the premises from flour, not from prepared dough; (3) manufacturing cookies, crackers, and dry pasta; (4) manufacturing prepared flour mixes or dough from flour ground elsewhere; or (5) manufacturing tortillas. |
| 31181 | Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing fresh and frozen bread and other bakery products. |
| 311813 | Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments classified under this code specialize in producing ready-to-eat frozen bakery items excluding bread, creating a distinct market segment within the broader food manufacturing sector. These facilities focus on baking and freezing cakes, pies, tarts, and other pastry goods for mass consumption or commercial distribution. Typical business activities involve large-scale dough preparation, precise baking cycles, automated filling for pre-sliced items, flash freezing to lock in quality, and rigorous packaging to maintain integrity during shipping. Operators range from large industrial bakeries that supply national chains to smaller regional producers serving local grocery stores. The scope of these businesses covers full-service operations that manage everything from raw ingredient sourcing to final product labeling, as well as contract manufacturing for specific brand requirements. Production volumes vary significantly, with major factories capable of outputting thousands of units daily to meet national demand, while smaller units prioritize niche flavors or regional preferences. The industry relies heavily on consistent supply chains for perishable ingredients like dairy, flour, and fruit. Regulatory compliance regarding food safety standards is a central operational focus due to the nature of frozen foods requiring specific temperature controls. This sector supports consumers seeking convenience alongside food service outlets needing reliable, high-quality pastries for retail shelves and catering events throughout the year. |
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Classification References
- 01Manufacturing frozen breads--are classified in U.S. Industry 311812, Commercial Bakeries;
- 02Retailing bakery products not for immediate consumption made on the premises from flour, not from prepared dough--are classified in U.S. Industry 311811, Retail Bakeries;
- 03Preparing and selling bakery products (e.g., cookies, pretzels) for immediate consumption--are classified in U.S. Industry 722515, Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars;
- 04Manufacturing cookies and crackers--are classified in U.S. Industry 311821, Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing; and
- 05Retailing bakery products not for immediate consumption made elsewhere--are classified in U.S. Industry 445291, Baked Goods Retailers.
Index Items
Baked goods (except bread, bread-type rolls), frozen, manufacturing
Cake, frozen, manufacturing
Crullers, frozen, made in a commercial bakery
Desserts, frozen bakery, manufacturing
Doughnuts, frozen, manufacturing
Frozen cake manufacturing
Knishes, frozen, manufacturing
Pastries (e.g., Danish, French), frozen, manufacturing
Pies, frozen, manufacturing
Sweet yeast goods, frozen, manufacturing
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes the cold storage requirements for frozen pastries while streamlining inventory tracking for short shelf-life items.
The Order Management System ensures accurate fulfillment of customer demand for seasonal products like pumpkin pies by integrating real-time inventory data.
Data Intelligence analyzes sales trends to predict demand fluctuations, allowing manufacturers to adjust production schedules and reduce waste during peak seasons.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 311813.
National Pastry Association
Trade association representing the frozen bakery industry with resources on trends and regulations
US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service
Government page providing official data, inspection standards, and consumer information for this NAICS sector
NAICS Reference Index: Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing
Census Bureau directory defining industry categories and linking to detailed economic data for this manufacturing sector
