NAICS 311919

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the common framework federal statistical agencies use to categorize U.S. business establishments for collecting, analyzing, and publishing economic data. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was created jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico; current Economic Census statistics use the 2022 NAICS vintage. ¹

311919 — Other Snack Food Manufacturing — covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing snack foods other than roasted nuts and peanut butter. Illustrative products include potato chips, corn chips and related corn snacks, popped (non‑candy‑coated) popcorn, pretzels (except soft), pork rinds, and tortilla chips. Cookies and crackers are classified elsewhere, as are roasted nuts, peanut butter, and unpopped popcorn. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing potato chips and similar potato‑based snack products. ²
• Manufacturing corn chips, tortilla chips, and related corn‑based snack foods. ²
• Producing popped popcorn (excluding candy‑coated versions). ²
• Manufacturing pretzels (except soft pretzels). ²
• Producing pork rinds and similar animal‑based snack products. ²
• Manufacturing other grain‑ or seed‑based snack foods not elsewhere classified (excluding roasted nuts and peanut butter). ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	311911	Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing (roasted nuts and peanut butter are excluded from 311919). 2
NAICS	311821	Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (cookies and crackers are classified here, not in 311919). 2
PSC	8940	Special Dietary Foods and Food Specialty Preparations (includes potato chips). 4
PSC	8925	Sugar, Confectionery, and Nuts. 4

Federal small business size standard

For 311919, SBA’s small business size standard is 1,250 employees (effective March 17, 2023), as listed in SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards aligned to NAICS 2022. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall under NAICS 311919?
  Establishments primarily make snack foods such as potato and corn chips, popped (non‑candy‑coated) popcorn, pretzels (except soft), pork rinds, and tortilla chips. Roasted nuts and peanut butter fall under 311911, while cookies and crackers fall under 311821. ²

• Are tortilla chips and popcorn covered here?
  Tortilla chips are classified in 311919. Popped popcorn is included unless candy‑coated, which would be confectionery; unpopped popcorn is classified in 311999. ²

• What is the SBA small business size standard for 311919?
  SBA sets the employee‑based size threshold for 311919 at 1,250 employees, effective March 17, 2023, for eligibility in federal small business programs and set‑asides. ³

• How do contracting officers use NAICS and PSC together?
  Contracting officers assign a NAICS code to a solicitation for industry classification and size standard purposes, while PSC codes describe the purchased product/service for reporting and spend analysis. For food items like chips, agencies often use PSC 8940. ⁴

• What is the distinction between 311919 and 311821?
  311919 covers snack foods like chips, pretzels (except soft), popped popcorn, and pork rinds. Cookies and crackers are explicitly classified under 311821 per Census cross‑references. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 311919 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/311919
• U.S. Census Bureau — Understanding NAICS (2022 guidance and vintage): https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html ¹
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 311919 definition and cross‑references: https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html ²
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective Mar. 17, 2023): https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf ³
• GSA — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (April 2025): https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census 2022: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS Sector 31–33 (includes U.S. Industry 311919 definitions and cross‑references). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
3. U.S. Small Business Administration, Table of Small Business Size Standards (Effective March 17, 2023). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
4. General Services Administration, Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (includes PSC 8925 and 8940 descriptions). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf