Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in the flavoring syrup and concentrate manufacturing sector specialize in producing high-volume liquid flavorings designed for the carbonated beverage industry. These operations focus heavily on creating complex flavor profiles that serve as foundational ingredients for soda fountains and large-scale soft drink production. The core process involves blending sugar, water, and natural or artificial flavoring agents under strict sanitary conditions to ensure consistency and safety. Typical business activities include bulk mixing, filtration, sterilization, and packaging into large industrial containers ready for transport to bottling facilities. Manufacturers may also engage in research and development to keep up with changing consumer taste trends and regulatory requirements. Operators range from large corporate conglomerates producing multi-national brand concentrates to smaller specialized firms focusing on niche flavor profiles for specific market segments. The scale of operations is often massive, given the continuous nature of the production lines and the sheer volume of output required to feed major beverage manufacturers. Geographic scope varies, with some producers serving local distributors while others maintain global supply chains. This industry remains critical to the food manufacturing landscape, acting as an essential upstream supplier that defines the taste of millions of soft drinks consumed worldwide every day. Their ability to innovate and maintain quality standards directly influences the competitive edge of the broader carbonated beverage 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. |
| 3119 | Other Food Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing food (except animal food; grain and oilseed milling; sugar and confectionery products; preserved fruits, vegetables, and specialty foods; dairy products; meat products; seafood products; and bakery products and tortillas). This industry group includes industries with different production processes, such as snack food manufacturing; coffee and tea manufacturing; concentrate, syrup, condiment, and spice manufacturing; and, in general, an entire range of other miscellaneous food product manufacturing. |
| 31193 | Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 311930. |
| 311930 | Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in the flavoring syrup and concentrate manufacturing sector specialize in producing high-volume liquid flavorings designed for the carbonated beverage industry. These operations focus heavily on creating complex flavor profiles that serve as foundational ingredients for soda fountains and large-scale soft drink production. The core process involves blending sugar, water, and natural or artificial flavoring agents under strict sanitary conditions to ensure consistency and safety. Typical business activities include bulk mixing, filtration, sterilization, and packaging into large industrial containers ready for transport to bottling facilities. Manufacturers may also engage in research and development to keep up with changing consumer taste trends and regulatory requirements. Operators range from large corporate conglomerates producing multi-national brand concentrates to smaller specialized firms focusing on niche flavor profiles for specific market segments. The scale of operations is often massive, given the continuous nature of the production lines and the sheer volume of output required to feed major beverage manufacturers. Geographic scope varies, with some producers serving local distributors while others maintain global supply chains. This industry remains critical to the food manufacturing landscape, acting as an essential upstream supplier that defines the taste of millions of soft drinks consumed worldwide every day. Their ability to innovate and maintain quality standards directly influences the competitive edge of the broader carbonated beverage market. |
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Classification References
- 01Manufacturing chocolate syrup--are classified in Industry 31135, Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing;
- 02Manufacturing flavoring extracts (except coffee and meat) and natural food colorings--are classified in U.S. Industry 311942, Spice and Extract Manufacturing;
- 03Manufacturing coffee extracts and/or coffee-based syrups--are classified in Industry 311920, Coffee and Tea Manufacturing;
- 04Manufacturing liquid meat extracts from slaughtered or purchased carcasses--are classified in Industry 31161, Animal Slaughtering and Processing;
- 05Manufacturing canned gravies by mixing liquid meat extracts with other ingredients--are classified in U.S. Industry 311422, Specialty Canning;
- 06Manufacturing powdered drink mixes (except coffee, tea, chocolate, or milk based), table syrup from corn syrup, or sweetening syrups (except pure maple)--are classified in U.S. Industry 311999, All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing;
- 07Reducing maple sap to maple syrup--are classified in U.S. Industry 111998, All Other Miscellaneous Crop Farming; and
- 08Manufacturing natural nonfood colorings--are classified in U.S. Industry 325199, All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing.
Index Items
Beverage bases manufacturing
Beverage flavorings (except coffee based) manufacturing
Beverage syrups (except coffee based) manufacturing
Concentrates, drink (except frozen fruit juice), manufacturing
Concentrates, flavoring (except coffee based), manufacturing
Flavoring concentrates (except coffee based) manufacturing
Flavoring pastes, powders, and syrups for soft drink manufacturing
Fruit syrups, flavoring, manufacturing
Soda fountain syrups manufacturing
Soft drink concentrates (i.e., syrup) manufacturing
Syrup, beverage, manufacturing
Syrup, flavoring (except coffee based), manufacturing
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes inventory levels for perishable syrup concentrates by tracking expiry dates and automating First-Expiry-First-Out processes to prevent waste. It also improves picking accuracy during high-volume orders for diverse flavor profiles through barcode scanning and real-time stock visibility.
Order Management Systems streamline the complex fulfillment of custom blend requests and bulk industrial contracts by automatically allocating resources based on SKU availability and supplier lead times. This integration ensures rapid order processing for both small-batch artisan flavors and large-scale manufacturing clients.
Data Intelligence tools analyze sales trends across different flavor varieties to predict seasonal demand spikes, enabling proactive raw material procurement. By identifying bottlenecks in production schedules, companies can reduce downtime and maintain consistent quality standards for their flavor concentrates.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 311930.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
USDA data page on flavoring syrup and concentrate manufacturing statistics and industry overview.
National Sweeteners Association
Trade association supporting the sweetener industry which is closely linked to flavoring syrup production.
Flavor and Fragrance Association
Industry association that covers the broader flavor manufacturing sector including syrups and concentrates.
