Girl Scouts Face Lawsuit Over Heavy Metals and Toxins Found in Cookies
It's officially Girl Scout cookie season, and chances are you've seen a booth with a troop set up at your local grocery store. It's hard to say no to the young girls trying to raise money for themselves and their troop, and it seems many people don't.
The Girl Scout cookie season is widely anticipated by many since it only lasts a few months, and they're not sold in stores. Every year, from January to April, about 200 million boxes of cookies are sold.
That means there are about 210,162,000,000 calories sold every year between Thin Mints, Trefoils, Samoas, Do-si-dos, Tagalongs, and others.
However, it might not be the calories you should be concerned about. A lawsuit has recently been filed against the Girl Scouts of America with claims that their cookies contain heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxins.
Details of the Girl Scout Cookie Lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Monday by Amy Mayo. It claims that the Girl Scouts of America, along with cookie manufacturers, Ferrero USA and Interbake Cookies are selling cookies containing toxins and heavy metals.
A study commissioned by Moms Across America and GMO Science showed that 100% of the Girl Scout cookies tested contained aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. It also showed that 13 cookies tested positive for high levels of a pesticide used to kill weeds, glyphosate.
While these numbers are concerning, the study wasn't peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal. It also used a small sample size and "doesn't necessarily reflect contamination levels nationwide", according to Forbes.
Seeking Millions in Damages
While the findings of the study may be questionable, the lawsuit is accusing the Girl Scouts of making false claims about the quality and safety of their cookies in packaging and other marketing materials.
The lawsuit states that Mayo, who filed it, along with others wouldn't have bought the cookies if they had known this information. The lawsuit also claims the Girl Scouts have violated consumer protection laws and have profited off unethical practices of selling "contaminated" cookies.
It is seeking $5 million in damages for U.S. buyers, along with an order requiring the sellers to disclose presence of the toxins.
"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 states.
What the Girl Scouts Have to Say
The organization did not respond for comment on Tuesday, however they have addressed these claims before.
In on blog post on February 6, the Girl Scouts said, "The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority. Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume."
The cookies have followed food safety standards put into place by the FDA, EPA, and other organizations. The organization claims the small amounts of these substances occur naturally inb a lot of food from environmental contaminants. They alleged it does not pose a health risk.
The Girl Scouts claim "fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, baked goods, and other food and beverage commodities" also contain trace amounts of glyphosate since this chemical is used in mass agriculture.
The statement also said,
"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. 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 Souts assure their customers that their cookies are safe to consume.