Dairy Product Manufacturers NAICS 3115

        Dairy Product Manufacturers

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Purchase Report

Industry Summary

The 1,197 dairy product manufacturers in the US produce dairy products from raw milk, processed milk, and dairy substitutes. Fluid milk products include milk of varying fat content, milk substitutes, cream, cottage cheese, sour cream, and yogurt. Other major product categories are cheese and cheese-substitute products; dry, condensed, and evaporated products; creamery butter; and ice cream and frozen dessert products.

Food Safety Compliance

Dairy foods are among the most regulated foods in the US due to the fact that raw milk can contain any number of dangerous pathogenic organisms.

Declining Milk Consumption

Per capita, fluid milk consumption in the US has been trending downward for more than 70 years and fell at a faster rate during the 2010s than in each of the previous six decades.


Recent Developments

Aug 23, 2025 - Dairy for Dieters
  • French dairy giant Danone is launching a yogurt drink aimed at users of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs, Food Dive reports. Because people taking weight-loss drugs risk losing muscle in addition to fat, the new line of cultured dairy drinks – Oikos Fusion – helps consumers build and retain muscle mass, targeting the roughly 10% of the US population that has tried or is using GLP-1 drugs, according to Food Dive. The new yogurt drink contains a patented blend of whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D to support muscle mass and maintenance as well as digestive health and comes in three flavors. Food Dive notes that Danone, Chobani, and other yogurt makers are among the biggest beneficiaries of growing consumer concern over healthy eating and drinking. Oikos Fusion is slated to launch this month at Walmart, and at Target, Kroger, and Wakefern stores in October.
  • Aging food processing infrastructure – some dating back more than half a century – poses risks for food manufacturers, especially producers of perishable products that must move swiftly through the system to preserve freshness and quality, Food Processing (FP) reports. Older equipment is more likely to break down, interrupting production and potentially leading to product loss and unexpected replacement costs. FP notes that while processing plants have scaled up production and adopted more advanced technologies, underlying systems have struggled to keep up, resulting in a growing mismatch between modern operational demands and aging physical assets. Moreover, many aging plants may not be equipped to handle growing demand and regulatory scrutiny due to lack of capital investment over the years. Because environmental, safety and building codes have evolved since many food processing plants were built, replacement costs can be substantial, according to FP.
  • Dairy products are among the 740 US farm products now subject to additional import duties after retaliatory measures by China in response to US-imposed tariffs went into effect in March, according to Dairy Reporter. The new tariffs were levied on top of the current applicable tariff rates. A total of 26 dairy products are subject to the 10% levy including milk and cream, butter, buttermilk, yogurt, dairy spreads, fresh and processed cheese, ice cream, casein, and more. The duties apply to products shipped from the US after March 10 and arriving in China after April 12, according to DR. New data from the US Dairy Export Council shows US dairy export value continues to climb this year after posting near-record exports in 2024. In January, US dairy export value rose 20% year over year to a record $714 million, with almost all commodities showing gains.
  • Producer prices for dairy products manufacturers dipped 0.6% in July compared to a year ago, after rising 8.9% in the previous July-versus-July annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In July, retail prices for dairy and related products rose 1.5% year over year and 0.7% month over month, while the price of milk rose 1.9% versus June, according to the BLS's Consumer Price Index. Employment by the industry grew 2.4% YoY in June, while the average industry wage climbed 8.8% over the same period to a new high of $29.58 per hour, BLS data show. Employment by makers of dairy products and industry wages each reached new highs in July.

Industry Revenue

Dairy Product Manufacturers


Industry Structure

Industry size & Structure

The average dairy product manufacturer has about 140 employees, operates a single location and generates $133 million in annual revenue.

    • The industry consists of about 1,197 companies employing 168,000 workers and generating $159 billion in annual revenue.
    • There are about 225 fluid milk processors employing about 57,060 workers.
    • There are about 410 cheese manufacturers with 60,220 employees.
    • The 450 ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers in the US employ about 23,400 workers.
    • The dairy product manufacturing industry is highly concentrated - the top 20 companies account for 51% of industry revenue.
    • Large US dairy product manufacturers include Nestle USA, Dean Foods, Schreiber Foods, Land O'Lakes, and Kraft Heinz Foods.

                                Industry Forecast

                                Industry Forecast
                                Dairy Product Manufacturers Industry Growth
                                Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum

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