America’s most popular berry brand is facing a purported lawsuit alleging it sold strawberries containing cancer-linked ‘forever chemicals’ without warning consumers.
The lawsuit, filed June 18 in Santa Cruz County Superior Court by plaintiff Christina Washington and five other individuals, claims Driscoll’s failed to disclose that its strawberries contained detectable levels of PFAS-related compounds. Driscoll’s rejects the lawsuit as meritless.
PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ are a class of persistent synthetic chemicals linked to certain cancers, weakened immunity, fertility and developmental problems, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and liver and kidney damage.
At the heart of the lawsuit is independent testing of two containers of Driscoll’s strawberries that allegedly found residues of 12 pesticides at levels exceeding legal limits in the European Union, Taiwan, Chile, South Korea and Russia.
While the detected residues appear to fall within US federal tolerance levels, the report and lawsuit alleged that several exceeded stricter international standards and raised concerns about cumulative exposure to PFAS-linked pesticides.
The testing, commissioned by consumer watchdog Mamavation, reportedly identified eight of those substances as PFAS-related pesticides or other fluorinated compounds.
The lawsuit accuses Driscoll’s of ‘greenwashing’ its farming practices by marketing itself as environmentally friendly while allegedly using PFAS-related chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment.
‘Had Plaintiff and consumers known the true facts concerning the Strawberries, including the presence and/or use of PFAS-related compounds, they would not have purchased the products or would have paid significantly less for them,’ the complaint states.
The lawsuit, filed June 18 in Santa Cruz County Superior Court by plaintiff Christina Washington and five other individuals, claims Driscoll’s failed to disclose that its strawberries contained detectable levels of PFAS-related compounds. Driscoll rejects the lawsuit as meritless
The Daily Mail has contacted Driscoll’s for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Driscoll’s traces its roots to a small California farm founded in 1904. More than a century later, it has become the world’s largest berry supplier, relying on a network of contracted farmers to grow its proprietary berry varieties.
Driscoll’s does not release a specific sales figure just for strawberries.
However, the company sells four billion clamshell packages of all its berries combined each year.
Strawberries are estimated to account for roughly 37 percent of the company’s total sales volume.
According to the complaint, Washington purchased Driscoll’s strawberries because she relied on the company’s marketing and labeling, believing the fruit met its advertised quality and safety standards.
She claims she would not have bought the strawberries, or would have paid less for them, had she known they allegedly contained PFAS-related compounds.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to certify the case as a class action and block Driscoll’s from selling the strawberries unless the alleged PFAS-related compounds are removed or clearly disclosed on the product’s packaging and marketing.
At the heart of the lawsuit is independent testing of two containers of Driscoll’s strawberries that allegedly found residues of 12 pesticides at levels exceeding legal limits in the European Union , Taiwan , Chile, South Korea and Russia. But levels fall within US federal tolerance
The lawsuit also seeks refunds, repayment of allegedly ill-gotten profits, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and an order requiring the company to correct what it describes as misleading environmental and health claims.
The lawsuit relies heavily on an independent investigation published by consumer watchdog Mamavation on May 12, 2026.
Investigators reported detecting residues from multiple insecticides and fungicides, several of which they said exceeded residue limits in Europe and Asia.
Among the substances allegedly identified in the independent investigation was flonicamid, an insecticide used to kill aphids and other sap-feeding pests, which was detected at 32 parts per billion (ppb).
The laboratory also reportedly found 60 ppb of fludioxonil, a fungicide commonly sprayed on fruit to prevent mold and decay during storage and transport.
Flupyradifurone, an insecticide designed to attack the nervous systems of insects, was detected at 27 ppb, while fluxapyroxad, a fungicide used to stop fungal diseases in crops, was measured at 26 ppb.
The report claimed the fluxapyroxad level exceeded standards used in Russia.
Researchers also identified 25 ppb of indoxacarb, an insecticide used against caterpillars and other crop-damaging insects, with the report alleging the amount surpassed limits set in the European Union, Taiwan and Chile.
Novaluron, another insect growth regulator that disrupts insect development, was detected at 19 ppb, which investigators claimed exceeded European Union standards.
The testing also identified several other pesticides at higher concentrations. Cyprodinil, a fungicide commonly used on berries and grapes, was detected at 125 ppb, while pyrimethanil, another antifungal chemical used to prevent crop rot, measured 310 ppb.
Quinoxyfen, a fungicide used to control powdery mildew, was found at 45 ppb, which the report claimed exceeded Korean standards.
The highest level detected was tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI), a chemical byproduct linked to the fungicide captan, which measured 302 ppb in the strawberries.
Commenting on the independent investigation by Mamavation, a Driscoll’s spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘Driscoll’s takes seriously and closely follows scientific best practices and regulatory guidance on research related to food-safety risks.
‘Driscoll’s and our independent grower partners operate in full compliance with applicable US federal, state and local pesticide and food-safety regulations, including frequent oversight by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
‘All Driscoll’s growers also undergo third-party audits by independent auditors to help provide transparency and ensure they are using safe agricultural practices at each stage of production.’
