A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed in Quebec Superior Court against Driscoll's, alleging that some of its berries sold in Quebec since January 2022 contained pesticide residues above Canadian limits. The suit follows allegations from former Driscoll's employee David Harada, who claimed in a June lawsuit that roughly half of the company's Canadian exports contained chemicals including bifenthrin, iprodione, and captan above permitted thresholds between 2022 and 2024 — with affected exports potentially valued at nearly $100 million. The class-action claims Driscoll's discontinued its compliance monitoring system in 2022 and continued marketing fruit in Canada after being notified of irregularities by CFIA and Canadian buyers.
Driscoll's disputes all allegations and says its berries are safe and that it uses testing and compliance procedures intended to meet Canadian regulatory requirements. None of the allegations have been tested in court. CFIA inspections at Canadian grocery stores between 2022 and 2024 allegedly found fruit above permitted thresholds, and the lawsuit also cites reports of potential illnesses and consumers detecting a chemical taste or odor.
This is a significant legal and reputational development for the world's largest berry brand. Canadian berry buyers and retailers should track the case's authorization process closely — if a judge certifies the class, the scope and visibility of the litigation will expand considerably.