Whistleblower alleges Driscoll’s berries shipped to Canada with excess chemical levels
Driscoll’s berry lawsuit alleges pesticide residues in Canada Whistleblower claims raise food safety questions; see what the case says
A whistleblower lawsuit in California alleges that Driscoll’s sent millions of pounds of berries to Canada with pesticide and chemical residues above Canadian limits between 2022 and 2024. The lawsuit, filed by former company compliance manager David Harada, also claims Driscoll’s tried to hide the problem and retaliated against him after he raised concerns.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it inspected Driscoll’s berries sold in Canada during that period and found some samples above legal limits. The agency said the cases did not lead to recalls and that some investigations were closed after followup steps.
Experts quoted in the report said residue exceedances do not automatically mean a product will make people sick, but they stressed the importance of reducing repeated exposure and maintaining food safety controls. Driscoll’s denied knowingly shipping unsafe products and said it acted appropriately in response to the concerns.