Whistleblower says Driscoll’s shipped millions of berries to Canada with excess chemicals

foodSep 26, 20261168

A California whistleblower lawsuit filed by former Driscoll’s food safety manager David Harada alleges millions of pounds of Driscoll’s berries shipped to Canada between 2022 and 2024 contained pesticide and chemical residues above Canadian legal limits, and that the company tried to cover it up. Harada, who was Driscoll’s manager of food safety and regulatory compliance for the U.S. and Canada, says Driscoll’s own estimates show about 50 per cent of shipments to Canada in that period exceeded Canadian safety levels and that he faced retaliation and was being set up as a “scapegoat” after raising concerns. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency told CBC News it conducted inspections of Driscoll’s berries sold in Canadian grocery stores from 2022 to 2024 and found residues above legal limits, including bifenthrin, iprodione and captan, but the inspections did not prompt recalls and the investigations were closed. Some probes were triggered by reports of suspected illness or complaints of chemical taste or smell, though the CFIA said reported illnesses could not be definitively linked to the berries and that the presence of the Driscoll’s brand alone does not establish a single source. Harada has filed a lawsuit alleging unlawful retaliation against Driscoll’s; the CFIA says it notifies producers or importers and conducts follow-up inspections when appropriate and issues recalls only if Health Canada deems a product an unacceptable health risk.

Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁

@minibubbly.bsky.social

Whistleblower alleges millions of #Driscoll’s berries sent to #Canada with excess chemical levels from #California and the client tried to cover it up Lawsuit claims about 50% of shipments from 2022-24 had fruit exceeding Canadian safety levels www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

403h ago

David Lewis5

All Driscoll’s berries are basically differently shaped water anyway

Adam Hunt 🇨🇦3

Just yet another reason to be boycotting US produce: it is not safe to eat.

MaidenCanada2

I stopped eating Driscolls berries 2 years ago. I trust nothing coming out of the states right now.

Fed Up / Speaking Up1

3 important facts here: -sent to Canada, means they are not Canadian (in fact American) -excess chemical levels -this wasn't done accidentally 🙁

Rando Calrissian1

I have a standing policy to never, ever buy California fruit of any kind, at any time.

The Slim Dude 🇨🇦

@slimdude.ca

He believes the potentially tainted berries crossed the border because in 2022, Driscoll’s removed the food safety and compliance tracking system it had for Canada in order to sell more here. I don’t buy US produce but I’m not ever touching a Driscoll berry again . www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

133h ago

Terra 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇵🇸3

I’ve been buying the ones from Mexico and saw something about those having forever chemicals too. Why is CFIA letting them in at all?

Karen Cook Fine Art Photography 🇨🇦🍁3

Yup....Driscoll's is a hard no for us too. And we don't buy anything from the U.S. if possible. We check each label.

Spicy Scorpio🪶🧡🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🇪🇺2

I have never eaten that brand. I am not surprised at all that they sent tained food across the border!!

Kevin Brackley

@kbrackley.bsky.social

Just another reason why NOT to buy produce from the U.S. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

62h ago

Visible Cricket 🇨🇦🇮🇪🛶🥾🎿🥌

@visiblecricket.bsky.social

American company produces unsafe food and sends it across the border, and the company tried to cover it up. Film at 11. Conversations took place “whether or not they had plausible deniability regarding this issue,” #FoodSafety www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

41h ago

Kai, a very old GenX 🇨🇦

@kaicable.bsky.social

U.S. corporation Driscoll's sent millions of pounds of fruit to Canada with non-compliant levels of pesticides and chemicals - and tried to cover it up. The U.S. is a corrupt cesspool. #BoycottUSA #BoycottDriscolls #cdnpoli #canad www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

33h ago

pStabs

@pstabs.ca

Dear Canadians, If you needed a reminder to continue to boycott...Do not eat anything from the USA!! Whistleblower alleges millions of Driscoll's berries sent to Canada with excess chemical levels. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

11h ago

Mike L.🇨🇦🇺🇦🇬🇱🇪🇺

@crazycanuck70.bsky.social

Another reason not to buy 🇺🇸! I occassionally by Driscoll’s if I see product of Mexico or Peru but not anymore! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

12h ago

vm4democracy.bsky.social

@vm4democracy.bsky.social

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... Thank you Mr.Harada for stepping up and doing the right thing. I don't buy Driscolls anymore (a US product) but had done so during the years specified in this article. So called "whistle blowers" need to be heralded vs ostracized/ fired/threatened. Its a brave act.

2h ago

Scam Egg

@redliberation.bsky.social

The american food boycott: It's not just patriotic, it's just the intelligent thing to do www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

2h ago

Laszlo ("Jack") McNadja, J.F.C.

@jackcharnista.bsky.social

Oh nice. I used to eat these all the time. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

1h ago

ElleKaye🇨🇦 (she/her | elle/la)

@ellekayeca.bsky.social

Thank you, Mr. Harada, for doing the right thing and going public w this. 👏 Someone with integrity, who values the health and safety of others more than profit. 💰 Being a #whistleblower is really hard. I’m so grateful to him. Stay strong! 💪 #Driscolls

1h ago

1 source

cbc.caWhistleblower alleges millions of Driscoll’s berries sent to Canada with excess chemical levels | CBC News

Whistleblower says Driscoll’s shipped millions of berries to Canada with excess chemicalsfood

Whistleblower says Driscoll’s shipped millions of berries to Canada with excess chemicals

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