311225 - Fats and Oils Refining and Blending

The fats and oils industry plays a vital role in manufacturing products essential to daily life—from cooking oils to margarine and shortening. If you're a business owner, government contractor, or industry enthusiast, understanding NAICS code 311225 is crucial. This code specifically covers establishments engaged in refining and blending fats and oils. In this blog post, we'll explore everything you need to know about NAICS 311225, its scope, business examples, size standards, and more.

---

What is NAICS Code 311225?

NAICS Code 311225 - Fats and Oils Refining and Blending includes establishments primarily engaged in the refining and blending of fats and oils from various sources such as vegetable oils and animal fats. The industry’s end products include:

• Cooking oils
• Margarine
• Shortening
• Butter substitutes
• Other fats and oil-based culinary products

This industry segment plays a critical role in converting raw fats and oils into consumer-ready products.

---

Sector and Business Activities

NAICS 311225 falls under the Manufacturing sector. Businesses in this classification typically perform activities such as:

• Refining crude vegetable oils (corn, soybean, canola, cottonseed, etc.)
• Blending animal fats and vegetable oils to produce shortening and margarine
• Hydrogenating oils to modify texture and increase shelf life
• Producing nondairy butter substitutes
• Manufacturing cooking and baking sprays from refined oils

Typical Business Types

• Vegetable oil refining plants
• Animal fat rendering and refining facilities
• Blending operations producing margarine and shortening
• Facilities producing specialty oils like olive oil, palm-kernel oil, and tree nut oils

---

Size Standard for NAICS Code 311225

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), businesses classified under NAICS 311225 qualify as small if they have 1,100 or fewer employees. This size standard is used for government contracting eligibility, loan qualifications, and other federal assistance programs.

---

Detailed Code Description and Product Examples

The fats and oils refining and blending industry specializes in refining and blending a wide variety of fats and oils. Below is a comprehensive list of typical products and activities covered under NAICS 311225:

Product or Activity	Description
Butter substitutes made from purchased oils	Alternatives to natural butter
Canola (rapeseed) oil	Vegetable oil refined from canola seeds
Cake and meal, made from purchased oils	By-products of oil extraction
Coconut oil made from purchased oils	Refined oil from coconuts
Cooking and baking oil sprays made from purchased oils	Oil sprays used in culinary applications
Corn oil made from purchased oils	Refined oil extracted from corn germ
Cottonseed oil made from purchased oils	Oil derived from cottonseed
Flaxseed oil made from purchased oils	Oil extracted from flaxseed
Grease, inedible, animal and vegetable, refining and blending purchased oils	Non-consumable greases
Hydrogenating purchased oil	Chemical process that solidifies oils
Lecithin made from purchased oils	Emulsifier derived from oils
Linseed oil made from purchased oils	Oil derived from flax seeds
Margarine-butter blend made from purchased fats and oils	Margarine blended with butter
Margarines (including imitation) made from purchased fats and oils	Butter substitutes from fats and oils
Nondairy butter made from purchased oils	Butter alternatives suitable for lactose intolerant consumers
Olive oil made from purchased oils	High-quality refined olive oils
Oil, vegetable stearin, made from purchased oils	Hardened oil used in food and industrial applications
Palm-kernel oil made from purchased oils	Oil extracted from palm kernel
Peanut oil made from purchased oils	Cooking oil derived from peanuts
Rapeseed (i.e., canola) oil made from purchased oils	Another term for canola oil
Safflower oil made from purchased oils	Oil extracted from safflower seeds
Shortening made from purchased fats and oils	Solid fats used in baking
Soybean cooking oil made from purchased oils	Popular vegetable cooking oil
Table oil made from purchased oils	Oils intended for direct consumption
Tree nut oils (e.g., tung, walnut) made from purchased oils	Specialty nut oils refined for food use
Vegetable oils made from purchased oils	Generic category of various vegetable oils

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What types of companies fall under NAICS 311225?

Companies involved in refining raw vegetable and animal fats/oils, blending oils for culinary products like margarine and shortening, and producing cooking sprays or nondairy butter substitutes fall under this code.

Is NAICS 311225 only concerned with edible oils?

Primarily, yes. However, some inedible greases and oils used for industrial applications are also included if they are part of the refining and blending process.

What is the primary sector of NAICS 311225?

It belongs to the Manufacturing sector.

How many employees make a business "small" under this NAICS?

Businesses with 1,100 or fewer employees are considered small for NAICS 311225.

Can this NAICS code be used for government contracting?

Yes, businesses under this code can participate in federal contracts and qualify for small business programs if they meet size standards.

---

Conclusion

NAICS code 311225 - Fats and Oils Refining and Blending plays a critical role in the manufacturing sector by converting raw fats and oils into a variety of consumer and industrial products. Understanding this code is essential for businesses involved in refining, blending, and manufacturing fats and oils, especially for those seeking government contracts or navigating regulatory frameworks.

With a clear grasp of the sector, product types, and size standards, businesses can better position themselves for success in this dynamic industry.

---

Keywords: NAICS code 311225, fats and oils refining, fats and oils blending, vegetable oil refining, margarine production, shortening manufacturing, manufacturing sector NAICS, small business size standards, government contracting fats and oils