Cookie and Cracker Manufacturers NAICS 311821

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.