Everything You Need To Know About The Strawberry Lawsuit

There are a lot of big headlines going around right now that are scary to hear regarding everyday food items. It can be overwhelming to know what’s real, what’s false, what’s been recalled, and how to proceed when―between parasites and E. coli outbreaks―it feels like no food is safe. In reality, that’s far from the truth and there are plenty of foods that are safe to eat, especially if we are following stricter food preparation guidelines. 

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One food is currently under legal fire and deep social media scrutiny, despite its common everyday appearance: strawberries. The emerging lawsuit was filed by a consumer advocacy group called “Mamavation” following their testing of two different varieties of Driscoll strawberries for harmful “forever chemicals.” So, here’s everything you need to know about the lawsuit and how to proceed with your interaction to America’s favorite berry. 

What’s A Forever Chemical?

“Forever chemicals” are actually something known as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFA’s for short). They are synthetic materials that have been used to make products water resistant and more durable. But, they don’t break down naturally. They are found in a variety of different consumer goods such as nonstick cookware, food packaging, and personal care products.

Here’s the thing though―PFAs can also be found in pesticides. And while it is possible to get PFAs off of food products, it’s far from a simple task. With things like berries, you can’t just peel off the outer layer of the fruit the pesticides would be directly in contact with. You would even have to use some kind of brush to clean your produce since PFAs are water repellent. A simple produce wash isn’t enough. And this is where the strawberries come into play.

A Not-So-Sweet Lawsuit

Driscoll’s currently has no warning on any of their products as to the presence of any PFAs. So, when the advocacy group sent in a container of their conventional strawberries and a container of their organic strawberries to an EPA-certified laboratory, finding 12 pesticide residues on the conventional strawberries was… not great. When eight of the pesticides found on the conventional strawberries are discovered to be PFAs, it becomes a situation where Driscoll’s has been distinctly misleading their customers.

This is an even bigger deal when you contextualize that the repercussions of consuming PFAs, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, include developmental delays, some forms of cancer, and decreased fertility for pregnant women. It should be noted that the volume in which PFAs consumed impacts customers is still being researched, but these health links all come from peer-reviewed studies referenced by the EPA.

So What Now?

As far as the lawsuit goes, we’re at a bit of a standstill with it only having just been filed. We will have to wait and see what further investigation into the company’s practices produces. But, for now, we can rest assured with the fact that even though all of these harmful chemicals were found on the conventional Driscoll strawberries, no PFAs were found on the organic variety in this round of testing. So, although the organic labeling system in the United States may leave a lot to be desired, for now it’s our safest bet to buy organic while enjoying summer produce. That said, of course, we should continue to thoroughly wash and treat all produce we eat and monitor any parasites and bacteria going around.