On the afternoon of July 21, U.S. berry giant Driscoll’s [3] issued an official statement [4] addressing concerns that had emerged in the Chinese market [5] regarding two lawsuits filed against the company in the United States.

In its statement, Driscoll’s said that the products that it sells on the Chinese market are unrelated to the facts, parties involved and legal disputes associated with the relevant U.S. lawsuits. The company stated that it believes that the allegations made in the lawsuits lack factual and legal basis and that it will actively defend its legitimate rights and corporate reputation through legal channels. Driscoll’s added that its branded berries continue to be sold normally worldwide.

The company further noted that, building on its existing strict quality management system, it has increased the frequency of sampling and testing for Driscoll’s products in China that have been subject to public concern. According to Driscoll’s, all test results obtained to date comply with China’s national food safety standards.

The controversy originated from a testing report published by a U.S. website and two related lawsuits. According to overseas media reports, in May 2026, Mamavation, a U.S.-based website focused on health, food ingredients and the safety of everyday consumer products, purchased one package of conventional Driscoll’s strawberries and one package of organic Driscoll’s strawberries in Southern California. The samples were then sent to a laboratory for screening against more than 500 pesticide compounds.

The test report showed that 12 pesticide-related residues were detected in the conventional strawberry sample, of which eight were classified by Mamavation as fluorinated pesticides associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The report noted that the presence of fluorine-containing components in these eight pesticides does not necessarily indicate that the strawberries contained the “forever chemicals” commonly referred to as PFASs.

PFASs are a group of synthetic chemicals that are difficult to break down in the natural environment. They can be used in certain pesticide products to improve application effectiveness. More than 10,000 types of PFASs are currently known, with two major compounds being perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The former has been classified by the World Health Organization as a group 1 carcinogen, while the latter is classified as a group 2B carcinogen. 

On June 18, a California consumer filed a lawsuit against Driscoll’s in California, citing the testing report published by the website as a primary basis for the claim.

Prior to this, David Harada, former food and safety regulatory compliance manager for Driscoll’s in the United States and Canada, filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that he had been unlawfully terminated. He had previously raised concerns that the company had knowingly sold agricultural products that allegedly violated state and federal pesticide regulations, as well as Canadian food safety regulations.

After reports on the two lawsuits were published by Chinese media, the issue quickly gained traction on social media platforms, with related topics trending on Weibo. On July 17, Driscoll’s general manager for China told customers and partners that the strawberries sold by Driscoll’s on the Chinese market are sourced from production areas in Yunnan, China, adding that the company strictly complies with relevant laws and regulations throughout the cultivation and sales processes to ensure that its products meet applicable food safety requirements, allowing consumers to purchase and enjoy the products with confidence.

According to Economic View, China News Service’s financial news outlet, customer service representatives from Driscoll’s official flagship store stated on July 21 that Yunnan is the main production region for products sold on the Chinese market. They said that all domestic products meet the required standards and that the company has consistently complied with relevant Chinese laws and regulations throughout the cultivation and sales processes, ensuring that its products meet applicable requirements.

The customer service team subsequently provided testing reports for Yunnan strawberries and Peruvian blueberries submitted for inspection on June 15 and June 22, respectively. The reports showed that all tested items complied with China’s national food safety standard GB 2762-2022, with no harmful contaminants detected among the 361 pesticide residue items assessed.

Currently, Driscoll’s products are no longer available through the online stores of Sam’s Club and Olé, while Freshippo only continues to sell Driscoll’s blueberry and raspberry products. Meanwhile, Driscoll’s official online flagship stores remain operational and continue to offer berry products, including strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.

Image: Driscoll’s

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [6].