Toxic Girl Scout cookies?
Researchers with GMOScience.org say yes. Good Day Atlanta’s Alyse Eady breaks it all down.
Fox – 5 Atlanta
- A New York woman filed a lawsuit against the Girl Scouts of America alleging their cookies contain harmful levels of heavy metals and pesticides.
- The Girl Scouts maintain that their cookies are safe and adhere to all food safety standards set by the FDA and EPA.
- The organization states that trace amounts of heavy metals and glyphosate can be found naturally in many foods and do not pose a health risk.
A New York woman has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Girl Scouts of the USA following claims that the organization’s cookies contain heavy metals, pesticides and other toxins.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court by Amy Mayo on Monday, claims that the Girl Scouts of the USA, along with cookie manufacturers Ferrero U.S.A. and Interbake Foods (operating under the name ABC Bakers), are selling cookies containing heavy metals and toxins.
The lawsuit points to a study commissioned by groups Moms Across America and GMO Science that said that 100% of the cookies tested contained aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury and that 13 cookies were positive for high levels of glyphosate, an herbicide typically used to kill weeds.
The study wasn’t published in a scientific journal, was not peer-reviewed and used a small sample size, which Forbes pointed out “doesn’t necessarily reflect contamination levels nationwide.” It also compared heavy metals and glyphosate levels not to U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety standards, but rather to water safety limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency, which aren’t applicable to food.
Yet the study’s results were touted by popular podcaster Joe Rogan, amplifying the claims to a large audience, and later going viral on TikTok and social media platforms beyond.
Lawsuit seeks millions in damages
The lawsuit echoes the findings of the study, alleging that Girl Scout Cookies contain dangerous levels of heavy metals and pesticides. It accuses the Girl Scouts of making false claims about the safety and quality of Girl Scout Cookies in marketing materials and packaging. The lawsuit says that Mayo and other potential plaintiffs would not have purchased the cookies had they known this information.
As a result, claims the lawsuit, the defendants violated consumer protection laws and benefited from unjust enrichment from the sale of the “contaminated” cookies.
The suit seeks $5 million in damages for U.S. buyers of the cookies, as well as an injunction requiring the cookie sellers to update packaging to disclose the presence of the substances.
“While the entire sales practice system for Girl Scout Cookies is built on a foundation of ethics and teaching young girls sustainable business practices, defendants failed to uphold this standard themselves,” the lawsuit claimed.
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Girl Scouts responds
The Girl Scouts did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday but have previously addressed the claims about their cookies.
“The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority,” the Girl Scouts said in a blog post responding to the allegations on Feb. 6. “Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume.”
The cookies adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA, EPA and other agencies, the organization said, and trace amounts of the substances in question naturally occur in many foods due to environmental contaminants and do not pose a health risk.
The Girl Scouts also said trace amounts of glyphosate can be found in “fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, baked goods, and other food and beverage commodities,” as it is commonly used in mass agriculture in accordance with EPA and FDA regulations.
“Small amounts of heavy metals can be found naturally in the environment, including in food products, due to air, water, and soil exposure. These metals are not added to our Girl Scout Cookies,” said the statement. “While such occurrences are not unique to Girl Scout Cookies, our trusted baking partners continue to ensure the integrity of our recipes and the safety of all Girl Scout Cookie products in accordance with federal regulations and Global Food Safety Initiative standards.”
The Girl Scouts added: “As a result, Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume and are manufactured in accordance with all food safety regulations.”
This story was updated to correct an error and add new information.
