Driscoll’s Berries From the U.S. Are Safe to Eat Despite the Whistleblower Claims

Majority view

Driscoll’s states that its berries are safe to eat and are not implicated in the current Cyclospora outbreak or any active recall. However, a former food-safety and regulatory-compliance manager has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging pesticide-law violations, and the allegations have not been adjudicated or independently resolved. Available evidence therefore supports the narrower statement that no current recall or regulatory finding identified in the reviewed sources establishes that the berries are unsafe, but it does not conclusively prove the broad safety claim despite the whistleblower allegations.

Credible dissent

The whistleblower lawsuit alleges that Driscoll’s sold or exported berries associated with pesticide-limit violations and concealed compliance problems; Driscoll’s denies the allegations and says its food-safety programs are robust. The disagreement concerns existing allegations and their factual significance, but the whistleblower claims remain unresolved.