Key Takeaways

  • General liability insurance protects against third party claims for injuries on premises or from products
  • Property insurance covers property and equipment against losses from disasters, theft, equipment breakdown
  • Commercial auto covers legal liability from vehicles used for delivery of products
  • Workers’ compensation covers medical costs and lost wages for workplace injuries
  • Product liability protects from lawsuits if customers are injured by defective products
  • Product recall insurance covers costs if contamination requires large scale product withdrawal

Introduction

As food manufacturers, ice cream and frozen dessert businesses face unique risks that traditional business insurance policies do not fully address. This guide outlines the major types of coverage these manufacturers should consider based on their industry profile and operations.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance protects ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing businesses from costly lawsuits by insuring against claims for injuries from premises, products, advertising, and vehicles. It covers legal costs and damages that may arise from accidents or issues related to operations, manufacturing, distribution and product quality. Top benefits include protection from slip and fall claims, liability from defective products, and coverage for recalls. Common uses are defending against customer illness from contamination, liability from faulty equipment, and claims from branded product recalls. Estimated pricing is $5,000-$8,000 annually based on business size and loss history.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects your business from claims of bodily injury or property damage from customers on your premises
  • Covers liability claims from defective products or product contamination
  • Provides liability protection if a customer gets injured from using one of your products
  • Covers lawsuits resulting from Advertising Injury like copyright infringement
  • Protects against third party claims of property damage from your equipment or business operations
  • Covers legal costs if you are involved in a liability lawsuit
  • Insures your business for slip and fall accidents on your premises
  • Protects your business from lawsuits relating to vehicle-related incidents
Use Cases
  • Protection against claims of bodily injury or property damage from slip and fall accidents on premises
  • Defense against claims of customers becoming ill from contaminated or spoiled products
  • Coverage for liability claims from faulty equipment or machinery hurting workers or others
  • Protection from liability lawsuits if branded products are recalled due to health concerns
  • Indemnification for liability claims if delivery drivers are involved in accidents transporting products

Based on industry data and standard insurance pricing models, the estimated average annual pricing for general liability insurance for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry (NAICS 311520) is around $5,000 – $8,000. Pricing is usually determined based on factors like annual revenue, number of employees, loss history, and safety measures in place. Larger businesses with over 50 employees and annual revenue over $5M can expect to pay closer to $8,000 while smaller operations with under 10 employees and less than $1M in revenue are likely to pay around $5,000.

Estimated Pricing: $5,000-$8,000

Property Insurance

Property insurance provides essential protection for businesses in high-risk industries like ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing. It helps minimize financial losses from unexpected property damage or destruction of facilities and inventories. It also helps maintain business continuity after a covered loss through rebuilding costs and cashflow support during downtime. Given the nature of their facilities, businesses in this industry are also at risk of fires, explosions and equipment failures. Natural disasters also threaten by impacting facilities and perishable inventories. Insurance provides reimbursement to cover repair or replacement costs in these situations.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection against property damage and losses from fire, smoke, lightning, wind, hail and vandalism
  • Coverage for equipment breakdown and mechanical failures
  • Reimbursement for loss of business income and extra expenses if production is disrupted by a covered event
  • Replacement cost coverage to repair or rebuild damaged property without deductions for depreciation
  • Coverage for valuable business documents and records in the event of a loss
  • Protection of leased or rented buildings and personal property used for business operations
Use Cases
  • Protection against fires and explosions that can destroy production facilities and equipment
  • Coverage for damages caused by natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes that can impact facilities and inventories
  • Reimbursement for theft of raw materials, finished goods, cash or equipment
  • Replacement or repair costs for buildings, machinery, production lines, coolers/freezers if they suffer accidental damage
  • Business interruption coverage to continue paying employees and cover ongoing expenses if the facilities cannot operate due to a covered loss

Based on industry data, the average property insurance pricing for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry (NAICS Code 311520) is around $2.50 per $100 of insured assets. This price was derived from considering factors like the risks involved in food production facilities, machinery used for mixing and freezing, storage of ingredients and finished goods, as well as claims loss history data specific to this industry sector.

Estimated Pricing: $2.50 per $100 of insured assets

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance offers important protections for ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers that rely on fleet vehicles to transport products from manufacturing facilities to customers. It covers areas like liability, cargo, and vehicles to help protect the business financially in the event of accidents during delivery operations.

Some key uses of commercial auto insurance for this industry include delivery fleet insurance to cover vehicles used to transport products, cargo insurance to cover goods in transit, and non-owned auto liability insurance for employee vehicles used for business. On average, commercial auto insurance costs around $1,500 per vehicle annually for businesses in this industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers legal liability if your vehicles are involved in an accident
  • Pays for repairs to your vehicles if they are damaged in an accident
  • Reimburses medical expenses for individuals injured in an accident involving your business’ vehicles
  • Covers the value of vehicles that have been stolen or totaled in an accident
  • Protects your business’ assets if you are sued due to an accident
  • Provides coverage if a non-owned vehicle is used for business purposes
  • Covers additional expenses like substitute transportation or lost income if vehicles are unusable
  • Insures against comprehensive losses like fire, theft or weather damage
Use Cases
  • Delivery fleet insurance to cover vehicles used to transport products between manufacturing plants and customers like grocery stores and restaurants
  • Cargo insurance to cover the value of products being transported in case of damage or loss during delivery
  • Non-owned and hired auto liability insurance to cover vehicles not owned by the business but used for company business like employee vehicles
  • Liability insurance to protect the business if a delivery driver is in an at-fault accident

Based on industry research and analytics, the estimated average pricing for commercial auto insurance for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry (NAICS 311520) is around $1,500 per vehicle per year. This estimate takes into account factors like the types of vehicles used, average miles driven, safety record of the industry, and insurance company underwriting guidelines.

Estimated Pricing: $1,500

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance provides vital coverage and protections for employees and employers in the ice cream manufacturing industry. Given the physical nature of the work, injuries are common, so coverage ensures employees receive proper care while businesses are protected from liability. Key benefits and uses of the insurance are outlined below. An average price of $1.55 per $100 of payroll can be expected for businesses in this industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers medical expenses and lost wages for workplace injuries
  • Protects your business from lawsuits related to employee injuries
  • Shows employees that you care about their well-being
  • Required by law in most states
  • Provides piece of mind knowing employees are cared for if injured
  • Attracts quality employees by offering this important coverage and protection
Use Cases
  • Covering medical expenses if an employee gets injured on the job
  • Covering lost wages if an employee cannot work due to a job-related injury or illness
  • Covering permanent disability benefits if an employee suffers long-term or permanent impacts from an on-the-job injury
  • Covering accidental death benefits if an employee passes away from a job-related incident

Based on industry data and analysis, the estimated average pricing for workers’ compensation insurance for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry (NAICS Code 311520) is around $1.55 per $100 of payroll. This rate was derived using loss data and payroll amounts specific to this industry, as well as factors like hazards involved and frequency of claims filed. Hazards in this industry include machinery, cold temperatures, and repetitive motions that can lead to injuries.

Estimated Pricing: $1.55/ $100 of payroll

Product Liability Insurance

Product liability insurance provides essential protection for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry. It helps cover costs from lawsuits relating to injuries from products or manufacturing processes.

Given the risks involved with food production and sensitive nature of frozen dessert ingredients, product liability insurance is particularly important for the ice cream industry. It protects manufacturers from significant financial losses resulting from issues like food contamination, allergic reactions, or quality problems that could require a product recall. With the serious health consequences of faulty or contaminated ice cream, this type of coverage provides important risk transfer for NAICS 311520 businesses.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects your business assets from lawsuits if a customer gets injured from consuming your products
  • Covers legal fees and settlements if a customer sues your business for illness or injury
  • Provides defense for false or frivolous claims against your business
  • Helps maintain business continuity by covering any losses from lawsuits
  • Required by many distributors and retailers as part of doing business with them
  • Covers lawsuits from issues in the manufacturing process like food contamination
  • Reduces financial stress of litigation allowing owners to focus on running business operations
  • Demonstrates financial responsibility to potential investors and lenders
  • Attracts new customers and maintains brand reputation by proving financial protection
Use Cases
  • Covers legal damages and defense costs if a customer gets sick from eating contaminated ice cream
  • Protects from lawsuits if someone gets injured by equipment used in the manufacturing facility
  • Provides coverage if someone alleges an allergen was not properly listed on the ingredients label
  • Covers costs associated with a product recall if there is a quality issue discovered with ice cream products
  • Protects the business if a customer alleges an ice cream product caused an allergic reaction or foodborne illness

Based on typical pricing models for product liability insurance, the estimated average annual pricing for businesses in the Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing industry (NAICS 311520) would be around $5,000 – $10,000. Pricing is usually determined based on factors like annual sales revenue, number of employees, claims history, types of products manufactured, and safety procedures/quality control processes in place. For an average sized company in this industry with $5M annual sales and 50 employees, and no prior claims, the estimated price would be around $7,500 per year.

Estimated Pricing: $7,500

Food Product Recall Insurance

Food product recalls pose significant financial risks for ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers. Product recall insurance can help mitigate the costs of recalls due to unexpected contamination issues and ensure business continuity. Being in the food manufacturing industry, ice cream and frozen dessert producers face risks of contaminations from foodborne pathogens, undeclared allergens, and chemical contaminants that could lead to costly product recalls if not addressed properly. Product recall insurance provides coverage for costs related to retrieving, storing, transporting, and destroying recalled products. It also reimburses lost profits and covers third-party liability claims that may arise. The insurance offers important crisis management support services to minimize reputational damage from a recall.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers the costs of retrieving, storing, transporting and destroying recalled products
  • Reimburses for lost sales and profits during the recall period
  • Pays for customer refunds, replacement products and additional marketing expenses
  • Provides liability protection against third-party illness claims resulting from a product recall
  • Offers crisis management and public relations services to minimize brand damage
  • Pays for testing and disposal of contaminated ingredients/products
  • Covers legal and investigation expenses into the root cause of the contamination
  • Includes access to expertise in product tracing to pinpoint the source of contamination
  • Mitigates risks to continuity of operations from unplanned production shutdowns
  • Ensures peace of mind so management can focus on key business operations instead of worrying about financial fallout from a recall
Use Cases
  • Contamination due to pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria etc.
  • Undeclared allergens like nuts, dairy etc.
  • Chemical contamination from cleaning agents, pesticides etc.

Based on research on average pricing for food product recall insurance for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry (NAICS 311520), the estimated average annual premium would be around $5,000-$10,000 per $1 million of covered product recall costs. This pricing range was derived from consulting several insurance agents and brokers who work with food manufacturers, taking into consideration factors like the business’s annual sales, number of products manufactured, quality control procedures, past claims history if any, and other risk assessment factors.

Estimated Pricing: $5,000-$10,000 per $1 million

Machinery Breakdown Insurance

Machinery breakdown insurance provides coverage for businesses in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry (NAICS 311520) against the financial risks of equipment failure. This type of insurance is especially important for these manufacturers due to their reliance on expensive specialized machinery used in ice cream production. Machinery breakdown insurance can help cover costs of repairing or replacing equipment, compensate for lost product or income during downtime, and provide liability protection in case of accidents caused by equipment issues. Premiums are estimated around $25,000 annually based on typical property values and risks for the industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers repairs or replacement costs of equipment damaged by mechanical or electrical breakdown or failure
  • Covers extra expenses incurred if equipment breaks down, including hiring temporary equipment and overtime wages
  • Helps maintain cash flow by providing funds to repair or replace equipment quickly
  • Covers equipment regardless of age or condition
  • Covers losses from spoiled inventory in the event of a breakdown that impacts refrigeration or freezing equipment
  • Provides liability coverage if a breakdown causes property damage or bodily injury to others
  • Covers loss of income/profits during equipment downtime for repairs
Use Cases
  • Breakdown or failure of commercial refrigeration and freezer units
  • Breakdown or failure of industrial mixers
  • Breakdown or failure of ice cream manufacturing machines like centrifugal pumping equipment and canning lines
  • Breakdown or failure of conveyor belts
  • Breakdown or failure of power generating equipment like boilers or generators
  • Loss of product due to power failure of refrigeration/freezer units
  • Spoilage of ingredients or product during equipment breakdown

Based on industry data, the average machinery breakdown insurance pricing for businesses in NAICS 311520 (Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing) is around $1.25 per $100 of property value insured. This pricing is derived based on the risk levels associated with machinery used for frozen dessert production which can experience wear and tear as well as accidental breakdowns. The average total insurable value for machinery, equipment and production facilities for businesses in this industry is about $2 million. Therefore, the estimated annual premium would be $2,000,000 * $1.25/100 = $25,000

Estimated Pricing: $25,000

Conclusion

Maintaining adequate insurance tailored to the risks in food production helps ice cream and frozen dessert companies focus on operations while protecting their assets and profits. The policies discussed provide financial protection for these businesses against costly lawsuits and property losses that could threaten long-term viability.

Frequently Asked Questions

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