Cookie and Cracker Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 347 cookie and cracker manufacturers in the US produce crackers and biscuits, cookies, wafers, and ice cream cones. The industry is comprised of independent manufacturers that produce and sell their own brands, and contract manufacturers that produce and package products for customers under the customer’s brand(s).
Changing Consumer Diets
Demand for cookies and crackers can change with consumer diets and fads.
Food Safety Regulations
Like other food production operations, cookie and cracker manufacturers are subject to regulations regarding food handling, storage, contamination, allergens, and package labeling.
Industry size & Structure
A typical cookie and cracker manufacturer operates out of a single location, employs fewer than 20 workers, and generates about $31 million annually.
- The cookie and cracker manufacturing industry consists of about 350 companies which employ about 30,000 workers and generate around $11 billion annually.
- About 89% of firms have just one production facility. About 46 firms are large, employing 100 or more workers each.
- The industry is highly concentrated with the 8 largest firms representing 69% of revenue.
- Customer industries include food distributors, grocery stores, mass merchandisers, drug and discount stores, restaurants, caterers, and snack shops.
- Large companies include Mondelez International (Oreo, Ritz, Nabisco), Kellogg’s (Town House), Campbell Soup Co. (Pepperidge Farms, Snyder’s Lance, Archway) and Nestle (Toll House). Some large manufacturers are highly diversified and produce a wide variety of foods and beverages in addition to cookies and crackers.
- Contract manufacturers include Hearthside Foods, Western Baking Corporation, Oakhouse Bakery, and Richmond Baking.
Industry Forecast
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 20, 2025 - New High for Wages
- Employment by cookie and cracker manufacturers fell 0.9% in January compared to a year ago, while average industry wages rose 3.9% over the same period to a new high of $22.63 per hour, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The dip in employment follows declining sales for the food industry, which fell 8.3% year over year in the third quarter and 0.6% versus the previous quarter, per Census Bureau data. Sales for the US cookie and cracker manufacturers industry are forecast to grow at a 2.27% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.
- Consumers looking to reduce their sugar intake are checking labels for natural sweeteners that don’t compromise on taste or texture, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery (SF&WB) reports. So called “clean-label” sweeteners include monk fruit, stevia, and organic date syrup made from concentrated date juice. Organic date syrup contains fiber, natural sugars (such as glucose and fructose), vitamins, and minerals and can substitute for sugar in cookies, cakes, muffins, and bread with sweetness and moisture-retaining properties, according to SF&WB. Tagatose – a naturally occurring sugar found in various foods – is 90% as sweet as sucrose while containing 60% fewer calories. In addition, tagatose has a low glycemic index (GI of 3), a ketogenic certification, and is non-GMO Project Verified. A bulking sweetener, tagatose delivers both sweetness and textural properties. Cookie and cracker manufacturers that innovate to cut sugar without sacrificing taste and texture are likely to gain new customers.
- A new rule proposed in the waning days of the Biden administration would require food manufacturers to display new labels on the front of packages flagging key nutrition information on salt, added sugar, and saturated fat, The Wall Street Journal reports. The new rule proposed by the Food and Drug Administration in January is meant to help US consumers make healthier dietary choices. The new labels, dubbed a “nutrition info box,” would appear on the front of packages, according to WSJ. The agency currently requires most packaged foods to display a nutritional label, usually on the back or side of the box. The FDA said it would accept public comments on its proposal until May 16. If the rule is finalized, food manufacturers would be required to add the new labels to most packaged food products three to four years after it takes effect.
- A new California law intended to help consumers avoid throwing out edible food will require changes to labels on packaged foods including cookies and crackers, Supermarket News reports. The bill, AB 660, was signed in September and takes effect July 1, 2026. It requires manufacturers to include “Best If Used By” and “Use By” labels on packaged food. Currently, more than 50 phrases are used on date labels for food products to communicate freshness causing confusion among consumers and generating needless waste. In addition to the new label requirements, consumer-facing “Sell By” labels will be prohibited to reduce confusion. “The inconsistent use of phrases like ‘Sell By,’ ‘Expires On,’ ‘Freshest Before,’ and others makes for an impossible-to-navigate system for consumers who don’t want to throw away good food or make their families sick,” said Erica Parker, a policy associate with Californians Against Waste.
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