A class-action lawsuit has been filed in Quebec Superior Court against U.S. fruit company Driscoll’s over allegations that its berries contained chemical residues exceeding the amounts allowed in Canada. The lawsuit alleges that the California-based company failed to inform consumers who purchased its strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries of the presence of pesticide residues or other chemicals. The proposed class action includes anyone who purchased Driscoll’s brand berries in Quebec since Jan. 1, 2022. “The failure to disclose this critical information regarding berries sold in Quebec is compounded by misleading representations surrounding these products,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit states that consumers were therefore unable to make informed choices and may have been exposed to potential health risks without consenting to them. The allegations in the proposed class-action lawsuit have not been tested in court. Potentially millions of class members The plaintiff is a Quebec woman who claims she has consumed dozens of containers of Driscoll’s berries since January 2022. The lawsuit also states that she consumed the berries while she was pregnant in 2025. “Ms. Gauthier had always suspected that pesticides were used in the cultivation of the Driscoll’s berries she purchased,” the lawsuit said. “However, she had always expected them to contain pesticide residues at levels that complied with applicable standards. For the plaintiff, as for any consumer, the fact that the berries she purchased contain pesticides in excess of regulatory thresholds is a significant issue.” There could be potentially millions of class members if the lawsuit is authorized by a judge, the lawsuit claims. The amount of compensatory and punitive damages has yet to be determined. Driscoll’s is the world’s largest berry distributor, shipping four billion trays of fruit annually to more than sixty countries, including Canada, according to the lawsuit. In Quebec, its products are sold at several retailers, including IGA, Maxi, Rachelle Berry, Provigo, Super C, Metro, Tradition, and Pharmaprix (Shoppers Drug Mart). Former Driscoll’s employee speaks out The lawsuit comes after David Harada, a former employee of Driscoll’s, alleged in a lawsuit filed in June that approximately half of the company’s exports to Canada contained chemicals — including bifenthrin, iprodione, and captan — exceeding limits authorized in Canada between 2022 and 2024. Harada, who started in September 2022 as an agronomist and later became director of food safety and regulatory compliance for the United States and Canada at Driscoll’s, estimates that the value of exports of berries to Canada that may have been contaminated reached nearly US100 million. He was terminated on Oct. 1, 2025, after alleging his employer’s practice of exporting berries with pesticide residue exceeding the amounts allowed in Canada. Driscoll’s discontinued its regulatory system According to the lawsuit, the company had a system to monitor the safety of its products and its compliance with Canadian regulations, but Driscoll’s discontinued that system in 2022. The company was notified of irregularities regarding the levels of chemical residues on its berries by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), RQA Inc., and its Canadian buyers, but the lawsuit alleges it continued to market millions of pounds of berries in Canada despite knowing that they exceeded the regulatory limits for pesticides and certain other chemicals. CFIA inspections at Canadian grocery stores between 2022 and 2024 allegedly confirmed that fruit sold by Driscoll’s contained chemicals over the thresholds authorized in Canada. The lawsuit says the agency received reports of potential illnesses from consuming Driscoll’s blueberries, as well as a chemical taste or odor in the fruit. Driscoll’s responds to allegations In a statement to CTV News, Driscoll’s said it disputes the allegations made in the proposed class-action lawsuit. “Driscoll’s disputes those allegations and welcomes the opportunity to address these claims through the legal process, where the underlying facts, data, and expert analysis can be fully examined,” the statement reads. “We are confident that Canadians will see that Driscoll’s maintains comprehensive food safety and compliance programs and that the allegations do not reflect the reality of how our business operates.” The company stated that its berries are safe to eat and emphasized that it prioritizes the safety and quality of its products. “Driscoll’s sources berries for Canadians from dozens of independent family farms and employs extensive testing, monitoring, and compliance procedures designed to meet regulatory requirements in the markets where our products are sold, including Canada,” Driscoll’s wrote. “We take food safety and compliance seriously and invest significant resources to help ensure the safety and quality of our berries. Our goal is always full compliance with applicable standards.” Driscoll’s also wrote that it values its Canadian customers, growers, and communities and complies with its food laws and regulations. “Canadians have placed their trust in our berries for generations, and we take that responsibility seriously,” it said. “For more than 100 years, we have worked to earn the trust of consumers by communicating responsibly about our products and growing practices, and we remain committed to earning the trust of Canadian consumers every day through safe, high-quality products and compliance with Canadian laws and regulations.”
