On behalf of the food industry, FMI's Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer, offered the following statement on the need for limited liability protections in Congress’ continued legislative negotiations:

“As Congress works to conclude its end-of-session legislative items, I cannot state strongly enough how critical it is that Congress provides limited, temporary liability protections that recognize the extraordinary efforts made by supermarkets and food industry associates to follow government guidance and keep associates and customers safe during the pandemic.  The businesses that have acted in good faith and have implemented best practices that reflect the existing state of science and the resulting government safety directives should not have to face lawsuits that second guess after the fact those directives and industry’s efforts to implement them. 

“There simply cannot be a successful economic recovery without these protections. The food industry calls on Congress to pass limited liability before the end of the year.”