Watsonville, California, has long been the center of the global berry trade, yet recent weeks have brought an abrupt shift at its largest player. Soren Bjorn has stepped down as chief executive of Driscoll’s Inc., with Brie Reiter Smith assuming the role effective immediately. The change arrives as the company confronts a consumer class-action lawsuit and a separate whistleblower complaint centered on pesticide residues and marketing practices. ([1])
The Leadership Change
Brie Reiter Smith brings deep family ties to the privately held business. She is the great-granddaughter of one of the company’s co-founders and the daughter of former CEO J. Miles Reiter, who now serves as executive chairman. Smith had already moved into the vice-chair role on the board in January and has held positions across quality, product leadership, and blueberry operations in Chile over more than a decade.
The transition places day-to-day responsibility in the hands of a leader who has spent her career inside the family enterprise. Driscoll’s licenses its proprietary berry varieties to independent growers worldwide rather than owning every farm outright, a model that spreads both production and regulatory compliance across many partners.
Pesticide Allegations Surface
The class-action complaint, filed by six consumers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois, accuses Driscoll’s of deceptive marketing. Laboratory tests cited in the suit reportedly detected residues from twelve pesticides on strawberries at levels barred in the European Union and several other markets. Eight of those substances belong to the PFAS family of persistent “forever chemicals.”
Separate activist campaigns have long pressed for reduced pesticide use near schools and greater conversion of acreage to organic methods. State rules already restrict applications within a quarter-mile of campuses, yet gaseous fumigants can travel farther under certain conditions. Decades of studies have linked some of these compounds to cancer risks and developmental effects in children.
Company leadership has pushed back publicly. In a full-page opinion piece published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel on June 16 and 17, Smith wrote that the narrative surrounding Driscoll’s “feels so disconnected from the reality I have experienced my entire life.” She noted ongoing expansion of organic production and investments aimed at lowering reliance on conventional pesticides.
Whistleblower Complaint Adds Pressure
A July filing by David Harada, the former manager of food safety and regulatory compliance for the United States and Canada, alleges he was terminated after raising concerns about growers exceeding pesticide limits. Court documents reviewed by the California Post describe Harada’s claim that executives directed him to focus on profits and maintain “plausible deniability” rather than investigate the reported violations.
These parallel legal actions have drawn attention to the challenges of overseeing a vast network of independent growers who must meet both domestic and international standards. The company has not publicly detailed its response to the whistleblower filing beyond the general defense offered in Smith’s opinion letter.
Stakeholders and Next Steps
Consumers who purchase Driscoll’s berries now face questions about residue testing and labeling. Retailers and export markets that enforce stricter pesticide thresholds may adjust sourcing decisions while the litigation proceeds. Growers under the Driscoll’s umbrella continue to operate under the same licensing agreements, yet face heightened scrutiny over compliance records.
The episode underscores the tension between large-scale berry production and evolving expectations around chemical use. Family ownership and a long-standing emphasis on quality have defined Driscoll’s for generations, yet the current legal and public pressures will test how quickly the new leadership can address those concerns.
What matters now
- Leadership transition is complete; Brie Reiter Smith holds the CEO title.
- Class-action and whistleblower cases remain active in court.
- Organic acreage continues to expand, according to company statements.
- Independent growers must meet both U.S. and international residue rules.
AI Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by a human editor.