Mamavation Finds 12 Pesticides on Driscoll Strawberries News
driscoll strawberries news: Mamavation said laboratory testing found 12 pesticides on conventional Driscoll’s strawberries, including 8 it described as PFAS “forever chemicals.” The group said it sent two boxes from a grocery store in Southern California to an EPA-certified laboratory on Monday, May 4th, 2026.
The testing covered organic and conventional strawberries from Driscoll’s and screened for 500+ types of pesticides. Mamavation said the conventional berries carried residues of 12 different pesticides. Its advisors recommended organic strawberries to lower pesticide and PFAS consumption.
Craig Downs Reviews Results
Dr. Craig Downs, executive director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, reviewed the results and said, “Fluorinated pesticides are a growing source of PFAS contamination in the environment and on and in our foods.” He also said, “There is debate with the U.S. EPA if single fluorinated pesticides are truly Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but many of the fluorinated pesticides’ metabolites are long-lived to the point they are considered “Forever Chemicals.””
Downs added, “These fluorinated pesticides also act like PFAS because they will accumulate in our bodies over the long-term, are associated with cancer risks, reproductive diseases, developmental diseases in children, and cause immune suppression.” He said, “It would be smart to try to completely avoid being exposed to them.”
Driscoll Strawberries News Testing Limits
Mamavation said the pesticides were at levels prohibited in the European Union, Taiwan, Chile, Korea, and Russia. The group also said 37% of non-organic produce samples tested by the State of California had traces of PFAS pesticides.
That leaves shoppers with one clear takeaway: Mamavation’s own testing points to conventional Driscoll’s strawberries as a place where multiple pesticide residues can show up together, while its review recommends organic strawberries as the lower-exposure choice. The group also said it had only “spot-checked” the industry, so this test does not cover every brand or box on the shelf.
