Driscoll's, Our Berries, and Food Safety

At Driscoll's, we grow real food that is meant to support healthier lives. That belief guides how we farm, how we partner, and how we show up in the communities where we operate.

For more than 100 years, our reputation has been grounded in trust, transparency, and delivering high-quality fresh, healthy berries. Food safety is a core priority in how we grow and harvest them. That confidence is built on decades of work alongside food safety experts, government, and the world's leading research institutions.

Driscoll's roots in our farming communities run deep. We live in these communities, our employees and growers raise families here, and our children attend local schools.  This includes the Pajaro Valley, where our headquarters is located, and in our farming regions around the world.

Recently, questions have come up regarding pesticides, food safety, and health impacts in the communities that grow our berries. These are important topics and we take them seriously. We want people to have complete and accurate information.

Driscoll’s berries are safe to eat and meet all applicable regulatory standards. Our independent growers are required to operate in full compliance with the law based on oversight by independent regulatory agencies. 

In the United States, pesticide use is strictly regulated by federal, state, and local agencies. These include:
•    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
•    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
•    And state agencies such as the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR)

These agencies set the rules for how pesticides are registered, applied, and monitored including applications near schools and other sensitive sites. They also establish strict residue limits for food and monitor emerging concerns, including PFAS. California's regulatory framework is among the most stringent in the country, and we rely on the expertise and oversight of these independent agencies.

As a global company, Driscoll's applies this same disciplined approach across all our growing regions. Regardless of where our berries are grown, our independent growers must comply with the regulatory frameworks in each country, and we expect adherence to all applicable laws, safety standards, and market requirements. Growers are also subject to third-party audits to verify safe agricultural practices.

We actively engage with and support these agencies at the county, state, federal, and international levels as they continue their work. These institutions are best equipped to lead this work, and we respect and rely on their expertise.

This is reinforced by Driscoll's Global Food Safety Programs, developed from decades of research, consumer feedback, and close cooperation with food safety experts, as well as state, federal, and international regulatory agencies. It is founded on the principles of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) established by FDA and reinforced through education, laboratory testing, and annual third-party audits.

Our responsibility does not end with compliance. We remain focused on continuous improvement, including expanding organic production and investing in new farming practices and techniques.  We are investing in innovation across genetics, ag tech, and research partnerships to grow food more efficiently with fewer external inputs.

This work is ongoing and long-term, reflecting the complexity of agriculture and the importance of ensuring that any changes maintain food safety, crop quality, environmental sustainability and worker safety. As global leaders, we strive to develop and utilize the most advanced and novel technologies that are sustainable, safe and efficient to our people, environment and communities.

We have also established a significant share of certified organic berry production in North America, and we remain committed to expanding organic farming as part of our broader approach. We continue to work closely with our independent growers to explore opportunities to transition more acreage to organic production over time. Learn more about our organic growing practices and commitment.

We remain committed to playing our part and are open to constructive conversations grounded in facts and mutual respect. We believe these discussions are most meaningful and productive when they happen person-to-person within our communities, where we can listen carefully, share information transparently, and engage thoughtfully with one another.

For more information about how our berries are grown, how pesticide use is regulated, and how we are addressing these topics, we encourage you to visit:

•    Learn more about our Global Food Safety Standards
•    California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR)
•    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including Q&A on PFAS in food
•    Your local County Agricultural Commissioner
•    Your local County Health Department