UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_________________

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 617, 2026

LIFEWAY FOODS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

ILLINOIS

000-17363

36-3442829

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation)

(Commission
File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

6431 Oakton St. Morton Grove, IL		60053
6431 West Oakton Street Morton Grove, IL		60053
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (847) 967-1010

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each Class	Trading Symbol	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, no par value	LWAY	The Nasdaq Stock Market
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights	None	The Nasdaq Stock Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b 2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 52.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

~~(e)~~ On March 617, 2026, ~~pursuant to the~~ Lifeway Foods, Inc. (the “Company”) ~~2022 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) the Compensation~~ ~~Committee~~issued ofa ~~the~~press ~~Board~~release ofannouncing ~~Directors~~its offinancial ~~the~~results ~~Company~~for ~~approved~~ the ~~form~~fiscal ofyear ~~Notice~~ended ofDecember ~~Deferred~~31, ~~Time-Vested~~2025. ~~Cash~~A ~~Award~~copy ~~under the Plan (the “Time-Vested Cash Award Notice Form”) and the form~~ of ~~Notice~~this ofpress ~~Deferred~~release ~~Performance-Based~~is ~~Cash Award under the Plan (the~~furnished ~~“Performance-Based~~as ~~Cash~~Exhibit ~~Award~~99.1 ~~Notice~~to ~~Form”~~this report and, ~~together~~is ~~with~~incorporated ~~the~~herein ~~Time-Vested~~by ~~Cash Award Notice Form, the “Plan Deferred Cash Award Notice Forms”)~~reference.

The ~~foregoing~~information ~~description~~in ofthis ~~the~~Item ~~Plan~~2.02 ~~Deferred~~of ~~Award~~Form ~~Cash~~8-K ~~Notice~~and Exhibit 99.1 ~~Forms~~attached ishereto ~~qualified~~shall innot ~~its~~be ~~entirety~~deemed by“filed” ~~reference~~for topurposes ~~the~~of ~~full~~Section ~~text~~18 of the ~~Time-Vested~~Securities ~~Cash~~Exchange ~~Award~~Act ~~Notice~~of ~~Form~~1934 ~~and~~ (the ~~Performance-Based~~“Exchange ~~Cash~~Act”) ~~Award~~or ~~Notice~~otherwise ~~Form~~subject to the liabilities of that section, ~~which~~or ~~are~~incorporated ~~attached~~by ~~hereto~~reference asinto ~~Exhibits~~any ~~10.1~~of ~~and~~the ~~10.2~~Company’s filings under the Securities Act of 1933, ~~respectively~~as amended, ~~and~~except ~~are~~as ~~incorporated~~shall ~~herein~~be expressly set forth by specific reference in any such filing regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits:

Exhibit No.	Description
10.1	Form of Notice of Deferred Time-Vested Cash Award
99.1	Press Release dated March 17, 2026.
10.2	Form of Notice of Deferred Performance-Based Cash Award
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	LIFEWAY FOODS, INC.
Date: March 11, 2026	By:	/s/ Eric Hanson
Date: March 17, 2026	By:	/s/ Eric Hanson
		Name:	Eric Hanson
		Title:	Chief Financial Officer

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