A lawsuit filed in California alleges that Driscoll's, a major berry producer, sold strawberries containing "forever chemicals" without disclosing their presence to consumers. The suit, filed on June 18 in Santa Cruz County Superior Court by six plaintiffs including Christina Washington, claims the company marketed its products as environmentally friendly while allegedly using PFAS-related compounds.
PFAS, a class of synthetic chemicals, have been linked to a range of health issues including certain cancers, weakened immunity, fertility and developmental problems, and organ damage. The lawsuit centers on independent testing of Driscoll's strawberries, which reportedly found residues of 12 pesticides. While these levels are said to be within U.S. federal tolerance limits, the complaint alleges that several exceeded stricter international standards and raised concerns about cumulative exposure to PFAS-linked pesticides.
The independent investigation, commissioned by consumer watchdog Mamavation and published on May 12, 2026, reportedly identified eight of these substances as PFAS-related pesticides or other fluorinated compounds. Among the detected substances were flonicamid, fludioxonil, flupyradifurone, fluxapyroxad, indoxacarb, novaluron, cyprodinil, pyrimethanil, quinoxyfen, and tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI), a byproduct linked to the fungicide captan. The report claimed levels of fluxapyroxad exceeded Russian standards, indoxacarb surpassed limits in the European Union, Taiwan, and Chile, and quinoxyfen exceeded Korean standards.
Driscoll's has denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit "meritless." A company spokesperson stated that Driscoll's and its growers operate in full compliance with applicable U.S. federal, state, and local pesticide and food-safety regulations, including oversight by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. The company also noted that its growers undergo third-party audits to ensure safe agricultural practices.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status, an injunction to block sales of the strawberries unless alleged PFAS compounds are removed or disclosed, refunds, repayment of profits, punitive damages, and legal fees. It also asks the court to order Driscoll's to correct what the plaintiffs describe as misleading environmental and health claims. The plaintiffs assert that had they known about the alleged presence of PFAS-related compounds, they would not have purchased the strawberries or would have paid less for them.
Driscoll's, which traces its origins to a California farm founded in 1904, is now the world's largest berry supplier. The company relies on a network of contracted farmers and sells billions of clamshell packages annually, with strawberries estimated to account for approximately 37 percent of its total sales volume. The company did not provide specific sales figures for strawberries alone.