Snack food: NAICS 31191

Overview

Ontario’s snack food manufacturing sector is comprised of two NAICS codes (31191 and 31134) and is an influential part of the food industry. Ontario’s other food sector, of which snack food is a part of, accounts for almost 12% of the food and beverage manufacturing sector’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ^{footnote 1[1]}. The three snack food subsectors are:

• non-chocolate confectionery manufacturing (snack bars)
• other snack food manufacturing (potato chips and popcorn)
• roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturing

2020 Key indicators

In 2020:

• there were 161 Snack Food businesses in Ontario, which is an increase of 9.3% over the last five years ^{footnote 2[2]}
• there were over 13,000 people employed in the Snack Food sector. Employment in this sector has decreased by 1,525 or 10% over the last five years ^{footnote 3[3]}
• there were $278 million in exports and $619 million of products imported into the province. The United States is our main export market, followed by Saudi Arabia ^{footnote 5[5]}

Ontario at a glance

Ontario also plays a significant role in offering private labels products that are manufactured by a contract or third-party and sold under a retailer’s brand name.

Johnvince Foods is an established leader in innovating, manufacturing and distributing quality bulk foods across North America. Presently, all major grocery retailers in Canada purchase the vast majority of their bulk food requirements from Johnvince Foods. Valued customers include major and independent grocers, department chains in mass, drug, retail, club and convenience channels, as well as bulk retailers and wholesale distributors ^{footnote 71[71]}.

Leclerc Group is a Canadian company established in 1905 with snack manufacturing facilities in Eastern Ontario. The company has proven to be a leader in the agri-food industry through its strong reputation of its product line ^{footnote 72[72]}.

PepsiCo Canada is a leader in the Ontario snack food industry and markets a variety of snack products under Lays, Ruffles, Cheetos, Doritos, Tostitos, Miss Vickie’s, Smartfood, Rold Gold and Quaker Oats. In addition, Frito Lay Canada is the largest snack food manufacturer in Canada, operating five Canadian plants ^{footnote 73[73]}.

Riverside Natural Foods is a manufacturer of raw fruit and nut bars that are sourced locally from Canadian farmers. The snack product line is organic, nut-free, gluten-free and contains a serving of vegetables. The company’s brands include Made Good, Good To Go and Cookie Pal ^{footnote 74[74]}.

Super-Pufft delivers high-quality products comparable to the national brand through its offerings of private label. As a premier Canadian family-owned manufacturer of snacks, Super-Pufft has over 60 years of experience serving the industry ^{footnote 75[75]}.

Highlights and investment activities

In 2015, Super-Pufft Snack Corp. received a $1 million investment from the Ontario’s government’s Food and Beverage Growth Fund to invest in a new canister crisp line ^{footnote 76[76]}.

In 2019, Leclerc was approved for $1.5 million from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund to support their $30+ million expansion in their Cornwall snack bar facility ^{footnote 77[77]}.

Trends

Trends in this sector include:

• adults expressing clear interest in buying resealable convenient packaged snacks rather than unsealable packages ^{footnote 78[78]}
• convenient snacking being a driver for growth in Canada’s meat jerky industry as companies are continuously meeting the demands of consumer flavourings (barbecue, maple, smoked) ^{footnote 79[79]}
• snack bars being a popular choice among parents to meet the range of family needs and preferences, including convenient, nourishing and fun options for their kids ^{footnote 80[80]}
• the COVID‑19 pandemic changing snacking behaviours as people are limiting social interactions and staying at home more often ^{footnote 78[78]}