Girl Scouts Face Lawsuit Over Heavy Metals & Toxins Allegedly Present In Cookies
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Now that we're deep into Girl Scout cookie season, troops from across the country are hitting the pavement with the hopes of selling Thin Mints, Trefoils, Tagalongs, and other cookies to the masses. But according to a frightening new lawsuit, those cookies could allegedly be tainted with a number of toxic ingredients.
Amy Mayo, a New York woman, has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Girl Scouts of America that alleges that their cookies contain heavy metal and toxins. The lawsuit cites the "Danger in the Dough" study that was commissioned by the consumer groups Moms Across America and GMO Science.
The study, published in December of last year, said that 100% of the Girl Scout cookies tested contained aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Additionally, all cookies tested were positive for glyphosate, a widely used herbicide that is harmful to humans.
In their report, they specifically listed the following findings:
100% of the samples were positive for glyphosate
100% were positive for toxic metals
22 out of 25 (88%) of samples were positive for all 5 toxic metals
76% were positive for levels of cadmium that exceed Environmental Protection Agency' (EPA) limits in water
24 out of 25 (96%) of samples were positive for lead
Upon reaching the end of their study, the group's request to speak with Girl Scouts of America allegedly went unanswered.
"After the testing was completed (and before releasing the results of the testing), the groups which commissioned the testing reached out to Girl Scouts in order to discuss the findings but never received any sort of response," the lawsuit states.
However, as Forbes notes, the study was not published in a scientific journal and was not peer-reviewed. Further, the outlet reports, "the research tested just 25 cookie samples from three states, a small sample size that doesn't necessarily reflect contamination levels nationwide." The study detected trace amounts of glyphosate and heavy metals. However, it did not compare these findings to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food safety standards. Instead, it referenced the EPA's water safety limits, which are not relevant to food and can potentially exaggerate the perceived risks.
Additionally, the lawsuit calls out the Girl Scouts of America for allegedly making false claims about the safety and quality of their cookies in marketing materials and packaging. Even the company's ethics were mentioned in the lawsuit.
"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 and failed as well to address the concerns raised in the laboratory testing that took place," the lawsuit continued.
In total, the lawsuit seeks $5 million in damages to be awarded to U.S. buyers. In addition to this sum, the lawsuit seeks to have the Girl Scouts of America update its packaging to disclose the presence of the alleged toxic substances.
The Girl Scouts of America did previously respond to claims of toxic ingredients in its cookies with "An Important Update for Our Members and Supporters." The message, posted to its website, confirmed that their cookies "are safe to consume."
Delish has reached out for further comment but we have not heard back.
News of Mayo's lawsuit comes just weeks after several TikTok videos about the alleged heavy metals and toxins in Girl Scout cookies went viral. One video, which has received well over 50,000 views, showed one creator tossing a container of Thin Mints in the trash after discovering "the truth about what's in Girl Scout cookies."
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