The restaurant industry is in the midst of a wave of food-borne contamination and illness claims that has not yet crested, as the plaintiffs’ bar has zeroed in on contaminated food as its next gold mine. In addition, the Food Safety Modernization Act has granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration substantial new powers to police and, for the first time, order the recall of food. Compounding these circumstances, food recall insurance policies are still in their infancy and have not yet evolved to address, or even understand, all the risks in this area.
Information security and other cyber-related exposures also pose an ever-increasing threat to those in the RF&B industries. Cyber/Media/E-Business policies can provide first-party coverage for your losses and crisis management costs, such as when your website or online store is shut down by hackers. They can also provide third-party coverage for claims against you for inadvertent disclosure or theft of customer information.
It is important that operators understand the types of specialty insurance available to protect against these risks, and the uncertainty of coverage. Our expert will walk participants through food contamination and cyber risks, the types of insurance available to protect against them, and the recent case law interpreting these specialized coverages.
Pillsbury