National Popcorn Day: January 19, 2023

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National Popcorn Day: January 19, 2023

January 19, 2023

Press Release Number CB23-SFS.009

From the Popcorn Board: All About Popcorn, Corny Facts:

“Americans consume some 14 billion* quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That’s 43 quarts per man, woman, and child.

“Popcorn is a type of maize (or corn), a member of the grass family, and is scientifically known as Zea mays everta.

“Popcorn differs from other types of maize/corn in that it has a thicker pericarp/hull. The hull allows pressure from the heated water to build and eventually bursts open. The inside starch becomes gelatinous while being heated; when the hull bursts, the gelatinized starch spills out and cools, giving it its familiar popcorn shape.”

* Average based on 2016-2020 sales

Key Stats

Source: 2018 - 2021 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM).

Table AM1831BASIC01, Annual Survey of Manufactures: Summary Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries in the U.S.: 2018 - 2021, showing these 3 Codes:

NAICS 311340, Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (Includes Candy-Covered Popcorn)
NAICS 311919, Other Snack Food Manufacturing
NAICS 311999, All Oth

Note: Click on the table image above for the full table with all columns visible.

More Stats

From Business and Economy > International Trade Data:

Related Information

USA Trade Online, the Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, select options for State Export Data (Origin of Movement) or State Import Data (State of Destination) by Harmonized System (HS) or NAICS. Select State, Measures, Commodity (search Popcorn), Country, or Time for data. More information is available in the Quick Start Guide. HS codes for Popcorn:

Exports: 1005904049 Popcorn, Unpopped, Except Seed, Nesoi (kg)
Exports: 2008199050 Popcorn Put Up In Microwaveable Packages (kg)
Imports: 1005904040 Popcorn, Unpopped, Except Seed (kg)

Source: 2020 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Table CB2000CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2020, showing the 3 Codes listed above under Key Stats

Source: 2017 Annual Business Survey (ABS) Program.

Related Information

Table AB1700CSA01, Annual Business Survey: Statistics for Employer Firms by Industry, Sex, Ethnicity, Race, and Veteran Status for the U.S., States, Metro Areas, Counties, and Places: 2017, showing these 3 Codes:

NAICS 311340, Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (Includes Candy-Covered Popcorn)
NAICS 311919, Other Snack Food Manufacturing
NAICS 311999, All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing (Includes Unpopped Popcorn)

Source: 2017 Economic Census.

Related Information

Table EC1700BASIC, All Sectors: Summary Statistics for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2017, showing the 3 Codes above

Table EC1700NAPCSPRDIND, All Sectors: Products by Industry for the U.S.: 2017, see NAPCS 2003025000, Manufacturing of other chips and sticks (hard pretzels, popped popcorn (excluding candied), etc.), excluding crackers, soft pretzels, and nuts

From Census.gov > History > Home Page Archive:

July 2016, P.T. Barnum

“It may be difficult to resist buying peanuts or popcorn at the circus. According to the National Peanut Board, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama grew 70 percent of the nation's peanuts, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that American farmers grew 785.7 million pounds of popcorn in 2012.”

February 2016, The Academy Awards

“For many Americans, movies are not complete without popcorn. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the census of agriculture found that 1,040 farms produced more than 785.7 million pounds of popcorn in 2012. Approximately 45 percent of the nation's popcorn is grown in Nebraska, followed by Indiana (19 percent), Illinois (12 percent), Ohio (11 percent), South Dakota (3.5 percent), and Iowa (2.4 percent).”

From Census.gov / Library / America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

The Business of Manufacturing Snack Foods Before the “Big Game” (February 09, 2022)