NAICS 311230

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the U.S. standard for categorizing business establishments so federal statistical programs can collect, analyze, and publish economic data. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget with the ECPC, Statistics Canada, and Mexico’s INEGI, NAICS replaced SIC in 1997 and is revised every five years; the most recent vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 311230 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing breakfast cereal foods. The Census Bureau places this industry within Subsector 311 Food Manufacturing and Industry Group 3112 Grain and Oilseed Milling. Official cross-references delineate closely related activities (e.g., granola bars and coffee substitutes) to ensure consistent statistical reporting and contracting alignment across federal programs. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing breakfast cereal foods. ²
• Operations that prepare breakfast cereals using flour milled in the same establishment are classified here rather than in flour milling. ²
• Placement within Food Manufacturing (311) and Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112) for statistical reporting and industry tabulation. ²
• Product forms (e.g., ready-to-eat vs. hot cereals) — Not specified by official sources. ²
• Primary customer channels (retail vs. institutional) — Not specified by official sources. ²
• Typical processing steps (e.g., cooking, toasting, extruding) — Not specified by official sources. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	311340	Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (includes nonchocolate-coated granola and breakfast bars per cross-reference)
NAICS	311330	Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (chocolate-coated granola bars)
NAICS	311920	Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (coffee substitutes from grain)
PSC	8920	Bakery and Cereal Products (includes “prepared cereals”)

Inclusions and exclusions (official NAICS cross-references)

• Included: Preparing breakfast cereals from flour milled in the same establishment is classified in 311230 (not in Flour Milling). ²
• Excluded: Nonchocolate-coated granola and other breakfast bars are in 311340. ²
• Excluded: Chocolate-coated granola bars are in 311330 or 311320, depending on source chocolate vs. cacao beans. ²
• Excluded: Coffee substitutes from grain are in 311920. ²

SBA small business size standard (contracting context)

For 311230, SBA’s small business size standard is 1,300 employees (effective March 17, 2023), as published in SBA’s Table of Size Standards. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What does NAICS 311230 include?

  • It covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing breakfast cereal foods. The Census Bureau also places integrated operations that mill flour and prepare breakfast cereals in the same establishment within this code, consistent with NAICS cross-references and scope notes. ²

• Are granola or breakfast bars coded under 311230?

  • No. Nonchocolate-coated granola and breakfast bars belong to 311340. Chocolate-coated varieties are classified under 311330 or 311320, depending on whether the establishment uses purchased chocolate or processes cacao beans. ²

• What is the SBA small business size threshold for 311230?

  • The SBA size standard is 1,300 employees. This threshold governs eligibility for small business set-asides and other programs when solicitations or awards are assigned to NAICS 311230. Always consult the current SBA Table of Size Standards for updates. ³

• Is NAICS 311230 part of the 2022 NAICS update?

  • Yes. NAICS is revised on a five-year cycle, and agencies are transitioning to the 2022 structure across programs. The Economic Census and NAICS search tool already reflect the 2022 vintage for this industry. ¹

• Which PSC aligns with cereal products in federal buys?

  • PSC 8920 “Bakery and Cereal Products” aligns with prepared cereals and related items used in procurement. It provides a product-level classification complementary to NAICS for acquisition, cataloging, and reporting purposes. ⁴

Useful resources

• U.S. Census Bureau NAICS 2022 page for 311230 — official industry definition, scope notes, and cross-references for Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing: https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=311230&year=2022&details=311230
• NAICS 2022 main site — background, revision history, structure/concordances, and lookup tools used by federal statistical programs: https://www.census.gov/naics/
• SBA Table of Size Standards — authoritative size thresholds (including the 1,300-employee standard for 311230) and methodology notes: https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards
• Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual — code definitions and usage guidance for aligning cereal purchases under PSC 8920 Bakery and Cereal Products: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS — North American Industry Classification System (main site). https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022 NAICS Search — Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing (industry detail page). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=311230&year=2022&details=311230
3. U.S. Small Business Administration. Table of Size Standards. https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards
4. U.S. General Services Administration. Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual