Note 8  Commitments and contingencies Lease obligations Lifeway leases three retail stores for its Lifeway Kefir Shop subsidiary, certain machinery and equipment, and office space under operating leases. Total lease expense was $769 and $702 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Future annual minimum base rental payments under non-cancelable leases with a lease term in excess of one year as of December 31, 2018 were as follows: Year Operating Leases 2019 $ 473 2020 171 2021 95 2022 55 2023 4 Total minimum lease payments $ 798 Litigation Lifeway is engaged in various legal actions, claims, and proceedings arising in the normal course of business, including commercial disputes, product liabilities, intellectual property matters and employment-related matters resulting from our business activities. We record accruals for outstanding legal matters when we believe it is probable that a loss will be incurred and the amount of such loss can be reasonably estimated. We evaluate, on a periodic basis, developments in legal matters that could affect the amount of any accrual and developments that would make a loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable. If a loss contingency is not both probable and estimable, we do not establish an accrued liability. Currently, none of our accruals for outstanding legal matters are material individually or in the aggregate to our financial position and it is managements opinion that the ultimate resolution of these outstanding legal matters will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. However, if we ultimately are required to make payments in connection with an adverse outcome, it is possible that it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Lifeways contingencies are subject to substantial uncertainties, including for each such contingency the following, among other factors: (i) the procedural status of the case; (ii) whether the case has or may be certified as a class action suit; (iii) the outcome of preliminary motions; (iv) the impact of discovery; (v) whether there are significant factual issues to be determined or resolved; (vi) whether the proceedings involve a large number of parties and/or parties and claims in multiple jurisdictions or jurisdictions in which the relevant laws are complex or unclear; (vii) the extent of potential damages, which are often unspecified or indeterminate; and (viii) the status of settlement discussions, if any, and the settlement posture of the parties. Consequently, Lifeway cannot predict with any reasonable certainty the timing or outcome of such contingencies, and we are unable to estimate a possible loss or range of loss.