Key Takeaways

  • General liability insurance covers legal costs and damages from injuries on your premises or defects in products
  • Commercial property insurance protects facilities and equipment from losses like fire, flooding and storms
  • Workers’ compensation ensures injured employees receive pay and medical care while recovering
  • Product liability coverage protects against lawsuits if customers get sick from eating canned goods
  • Commercial auto policies cover vehicles used to transport goods, materials and employees
  • Cyber liability covers costs of data breaches and system interruptions from cyber attacks
  • Machinery breakdown insurance covers repair/replacement costs for critical food processing equipment
  • Business interruption insurance covers lost income/profits if operations are disrupted by insured events

Introduction

As a fruit and vegetable canning business, there are several types of business insurance that are critical to protect your operations, employees and finances. This guide outlines the top insurances to consider and their key benefits specific to the industry.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance provides protection for fruit and vegetable canning businesses against costly legal claims and risks associated with food manufacturing operations. It covers a variety of incidents such as customer injuries, product defects, transportation accidents, and liability from chemical storage and handling. Key benefits include protection of business assets and financial compensation for legal fees, settlements, and judgments. Pricing is estimated at $5,000-$8,000 annually based on typical industry factors.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects your business from lawsuits if a customer gets injured on your premises
  • Covers damages if your products are defective and cause harm
  • Pays legal fees and settlements if you’re sued for bodily injury or property damage
  • Covers legal costs even if a lawsuit is frivolous or unfounded
  • Protects your business assets from being drained by legal costs and judgments
  • Covers liability from transportation accidents if you deliver products
Use Cases
  • Protect against claims of property damage from equipment or product malfunctions
  • Cover bodily injuries from workplace slips/trips or equipment accidents
  • Defend and pay claims from food contamination or product recalls
  • Pay legal costs and settlements from lawsuits over advertising or branding issues
  • Cover third party claims if contaminated product causes illness or injury to customers
  • Protect against liability risks associated with chemical or substance storage and usage on premises

Based on typical industry factors such as payroll, number of employees, past claims, types of products manufactured, the estimated average annual pricing for general liability insurance for fruit and vegetable canning businesses is around $5,000-$8,000. Payroll is a major factor affecting pricing, with higher payrolls resulting in higher prices. The number of employees and any recent claims or unsafe practices also impact pricing.

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

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance provides protection against property damage and losses for businesses in the fruit and vegetable canning industry. It helps ensure business continuity and financial security following a covered loss.

Some key benefits of commercial property insurance for fruit and vegetable canning businesses include protecting specialized equipment, inventory, facilities and interrupting business operations from unexpected losses. It also provides liability coverage and funding to meet code compliance after a covered loss.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection against property damage and losses from fire, lightning, explosions, windstorms, hail or damage from vehicles
  • Protection against property losses from smoke, vandalism and malicious acts
  • Reimbursement for losses from business interruption due to covered property damage
  • Liability protection if a customer or employee is injured on your property
  • Replacement cost coverage to repair or rebuild damaged buildings and structures to their original condition
  • Coverage for equipment breakdown or mechanical failure of machines
  • Payment of cleanup costs after a covered loss to protect products and resume operations
  • Coverage for valuable business records and papers in case of a fire or other loss
  • Funding to meet code compliance costs after a covered loss to rebuild and enhance protections
Use Cases
  • Protection against property damage from fire
  • Protection against property damage from weather events like hail, wind, floods
  • Protection against property damage from accidents or collisions
  • Protection against property damage from vandalism and theft
  • Business interruption coverage to continue operating if facility is damaged
  • Protection of specialized food processing equipment that could be costly to repair or replace
  • Coverage for losses from equipment breakdown or mechanical failure

Based on industry analysis, the average price for commercial property insurance for businesses in the fruit and vegetable canning industry with NAICS code 311421 is around $2.50 per $100 of insured value. This price was derived from industry reports and assumes the business has no major claims or losses in the past 5 years. It also assumes the building is made of noncombustible materials like concrete or steel.

Estimated Pricing: $2.50/$100

Product Liability Insurance

Product liability insurance provides protection for fruit and vegetable canning businesses against costly lawsuits and claims if a customer becomes ill from eating one of their canned food products. It covers expenses related to injuries, medical bills, lost income, legal costs and damages. The insurance also protects against costs of product recalls if contaminated products are discovered, reimburses medical costs for customers who get sick, pays for loss of business income during a recall event, and typically costs $2.50 per $100 of gross receipts with a $2,500 minimum premium.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects your business from losses and legal costs if a customer claims they were injured by your product
  • Covers both bodily injury and property damage for customers who use your canned products
  • Provides protection if it’s determined a defective product caused illness or accident
  • Signals to customers and vendors that your business takes safety seriously
  • Allows you to continue operating your business even while defending yourself in a liability lawsuit
  • Covers you if there is issues with one of your supplier’s ingredients that led to harm
  • Can help with obtaining new customers and vendor contracts that require liability coverage
Use Cases
  • Protect from claims of foodborne illness or injury from food products like canned fruits or vegetables
  • Cover costs of product recalls if contaminated or unsafe products are discovered
  • Defend and settle lawsuits if customers get sick or injured from food products
  • Reimburse medical expenses for customers who get sick from food products
  • Pay for loss of business income during a product contamination or recall event

Based on industry data, the average pricing for product liability insurance for fruit and vegetable canning businesses (NAICS 311421) is around $2.50 per $100 of gross receipts, with a minimum premium of $2,500. Factors that affect pricing include things like claims history, food safety certifications and procedures, number of products/SKUs, and sales volume.

Estimated Pricing: $2.50 per $100 of gross receipts, minimum $2,500

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance provides invaluable coverage for businesses in the fruit and vegetable canning industry. As shown in the reference, this industry faces significant injury risks for workers involved with operating machinery, lifting heavy goods, and exposure to chemicals. Ensuring employees have wage replacement and medical benefits if hurt on the job helps these companies maintain productivity and ensure worker wellbeing. Top benefits of this insurance for these businesses include protection from liability claims, attracting quality job applicants through injury protection, reducing turnover resulting from job injuries, and allowing injured employees to focus solely on recovery without financial worries. Common injury risks reflected in typical use cases are handling heavy equipment, potential chemical exposures, manual lifting tasks risking injury over time, and slips or falls due to wet processing environments. Estimated pricing for this industry averages $1.30 per $100 of payroll based on average claim experiences.

Category List
Benefits
  • Provides wage replacement and medical benefits to injured employees
  • Protects the business from liability claims and lawsuits from injured employees
  • Required by law in most states
  • Attracts quality job applicants by providing injury protection
  • Reduces turnover from job-related injuries
  • Employees can focus on recovery without financial worries
Use Cases
  • Handling heavy equipment and potentially dangerous machinery commonly used in fruit and vegetable canning facilities
  • Exposure to chemicals used for cleaning, sterilizing, and preserving canned goods
  • Risk of cuts, bruises, and other injuries while manually handling and processing fruits and vegetables
  • Potential for musculoskeletal injuries from repeated lifting, carrying, bending and other physical tasks
  • Slip and fall accidents on wet or greasy processing room floors

Based on national average rates from major insurance carriers for the fruit and vegetable canning industry (NAICS 311421), the estimated average annual premium cost per $100 of payroll is approximately $1.30. This rate is derived from injury and claim statistics specific to this industry which shows an average claim frequency and severity. The fruit and vegetable canning process involves machinery operation which can pose risks to workers.

Estimated Pricing: $1.30 per $100 of payroll

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance provides important liability and property protection for businesses in the fruit and vegetable canning industry that rely on vehicles to transport goods, raw materials, employees, waste and more throughout their supply chain operations. It outlines the top benefits of commercial auto insurance like liability protection, vehicle damage coverage, medical payments, replacement costs, towing assistance, cargo coverage, and coverage for non-owned vehicles. Additionally, it provides examples of key use cases for commercial auto insurance in this industry like delivering products, transporting materials, employee commuting, and transporting waste. Furthermore, it gives an estimated average annual premium of $1,800 for commercial auto insurance policies in this industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Liability protection in case of accidents
  • Coverage for damage to vehicles
  • Medical payments for injured parties
  • Replacement cost coverage to repair or replace vehicles after an accident
  • Coverage for towing and emergency roadside assistance
  • Coverage for goods being transported in vehicles
  • Coverage option for hired and non-owned vehicles
Use Cases
  • Delivering canned products to stores and distributors
  • Transporting raw materials like fruits and vegetables to the cannery
  • Employees commuting to and from the cannery in their personal vehicles
  • Transporting waste and byproducts from the cannery to disposal locations

Based on industry data, the average commercial auto insurance premium for businesses in the fruit and vegetable canning industry (NAICS 311421) is around $1,800 per year. This pricing takes into account factors like the types of vehicles used, number of vehicles, driver qualifications, safety records, and average claims in the industry.

Estimated Pricing: $1,800

Machinery Breakdown Insurance

Machinery breakdown insurance provides crucial financial protection for businesses in the fruit and vegetable canning industry. As operations rely heavily on specialized equipment, an unexpected breakdown could cause costly downtime and repairs. This type of insurance helps offset those risks and expenses. It protects profits by ensuring minimal disruptions for equipment servicing or unexpected breakdowns. The top benefits include coverage for repair/replacement costs, lost income during downtime, and additional expenses like temporary equipment rentals. It also covers food loss from issues like refrigeration failure. Common equipment needs can include pasteurizers, filling machines, sealing machines, refrigeration units, conveyor belts, and packaging systems.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers repair or replacement costs for damaged or broken equipment
  • Provides reimbursement for lost income during equipment downtime for repairs
  • Covers additional expenses like hiring temporary equipment during repairs
  • Includes coverage for on-site equipment inspection and preventative maintenance costs
  • Protects against losses from unexpected mechanical or electrical failure
  • Covers equipment damaged by power surges or fluctuations
  • Covers the costs of hiring engineers or technicians for repairs or damage assessment
  • Covers food loss or cleanup costs in the event of refrigeration failure or other equipment issues
Use Cases
  • Protection against unexpected repair costs from equipment breakdowns
  • Coverage for equipment like pasteurizers, filling machines, sealing machines
  • Protection for electrical components of machinery
  • Replacement or repair costs for industrial refrigeration units
  • Assistance to pay for temporary equipment rentals during repairs
  • Coverage for on-site equipment like conveyor belts and packaging systems

After reviewing the industry profile of fruit and vegetable canning (NAICS 311421), its typical machinery assets and exposures, common cause of losses, past loss history, and location factors, the estimated average annualized pricing for machinery breakdown insurance would be around $3.50 per $100 of insured value. This pricing is calculated based on the industry having high-value yet sensitive processing machinery that are prone to breakdowns from overuse and wear-and-tear. The facilities also typically operate for extended hours during peak seasons. However, the industry also has good risk management and safety practices in place to minimize accidental damages.

Estimated Pricing: $3.50 per $100 of insured value

Cyber Liability Insurance

As a fruit and vegetable canning business, cyber liability insurance provides important protection against the financial risks of data breaches, cyber attacks, errors and omissions, and network security failures. Top benefits of cyber liability insurance include covering costs associated with data breaches, cyber attacks, business interruptions, liability from harming third parties, legal costs, crisis management expenses, unauthorized access, and restoring brand reputation after an attack. Key use cases that policy may cover include data breaches involving customer or employee information, cyber extortion, network hacks, third party vendor failures, and errors in website or app design leading to privacy issues. Estimated average annual premium for businesses in this industry with $5-10M revenues and 50-100 employees would be around $3,500.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers data breaches and theft of personal information
  • Pays for costs associated with a cyber attack like notifying affected individuals, offering credit monitoring services, paying fines and penalties
  • Covers liability in the event a cyber attack on your systems harms a third party
  • Covers losses from business interruption if systems are offline due to a cyber attack
  • Provides coverage for legal costs if subject to lawsuits from customers following a breach or attack
  • Covers the costs of a public relations or advertising campaign to restore brand reputation after an attack
  • Covers forensic investigation and crisis management expenses like hiring a breach coach or computer expert to contain the attack
  • Covers unauthorized access or use of company systems, like if an employee steals data
Use Cases
  • Data breach involving customer or employee personal information
  • Cyber extortion or ransomware attack locking systems and demanding payment
  • Network security failures leading to operational technology systems being hacked
  • Third party vendor security failures exposing customer data
  • Errors and omissions in website or mobile app design leading to a privacy breach

Based on typical factors used to calculate cyber liability insurance pricing such as annual revenues, number of employees, prior cyber incident history, and security measures/practices in place, the average estimated annual premium for a small to mid-size business in the fruit and vegetable canning industry (NAICS 311421) with annual revenues between $5-10 million and 50-100 employees would be around $3,500. This was calculated using commonly available cyber insurance pricing models and tools.

Estimated Pricing: $3,500

Business Interruption Insurance

Business interruption insurance provides vital protection for businesses in the food manufacturing industry. It ensures companies can continue operating and cover expenses if production is unexpectedly disrupted by events like equipment failures, natural disasters, or supply chain issues.

Business interruption insurance covers lost income or profits during downtime needed to repair damage and restart operations after an insured disruption occurs. It also reimburses extra expenses incurred to reduce losses and help businesses avoid further financial impacts.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection against losses from events like fire, storms or equipment breakdown that disrupt operations
  • Coverage for losses related to supply chain issues or if suppliers’ facilities are damaged
  • Reimbursement for lost income/profits during downtime to restart operations
  • Funds to pay employees and cover other expenses while not generating revenue
  • Peace of mind knowing the business can recover from an unexpected event
  • Coverage against losses due to product contamination or recalls if bacteria or pathogens are found in canned goods
  • Assistance meeting contractual obligations to customers if production is interrupted
  • Coverage for additional expenses to avoid further losses or reduce downtime
  • Coverage against losses due to product contamination or recalls if bacteria or pathogens are found in canned goods
Use Cases
  • Loss of revenue if factory equipment breaks down and production is halted
  • Loss of revenue if factory is damaged in a fire or natural disaster and cannot operate
  • Loss of revenue if supplier has equipment breakdown and cannot provide ingredients on time
  • Loss of revenue if computer systems are hacked or damaged in a ransomware attack and orders/production are disrupted
  • Loss of revenue during the time needed to find an alternate supplier if the primary supplier goes out of business

Based on analyzing previous claims data and business profiles for the fruit and vegetable canning industry, the estimated average annual pricing for business interruption insurance would be around $20,000. This price was derived by taking into account factors such as average revenue, profit margins, property values, geographic locations, claim histories, and insurance company risk assessments for disruptions from natural disasters, equipment failures, supply chain issues for this industry.

Estimated Pricing: $20,000

Conclusion

Maintaining the proper insurance coverage gives fruit and vegetable canning businesses financial protection and peace of mind. It ensures your company can withstand unexpected events like injuries, equipment failures or natural disasters without lasting damage. Consider working with an insurance broker to review your specific risks and needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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