• Posted March 13, 2025

Girl Scouts Say Cookies Are Safe Despite Lawsuit Claiming They Contain Heavy Metals

Two groups focused on food safety and environmental toxins have sued Girl Scouts of America, claiming that their perennially popular cookies are tainted with pesticides and heavy metals.

GMO Science and Moms Across America filed court documents Monday in New York, based on a December 2024 study that tested 25 cookie samples in three states, according to Tribune News Service. The suit names Girl Scouts of the United States and the two bakers that produce the tasty treats -- ABC Bakers and Ferrero USA's Little Brownie Bakers. 

The confections are ubiquitous during selling season, with more than a million members of the group hawking more than 200 million packages at stores, door-to-door and via QR code. The cookie campaign raises close to $1 billion a year for the organization, according to NPR.

In a blog post last month, the Girl Scouts responded to the study commissioned by the two groups, saying that heavy metals can occur naturally in soil and aren't a safety issue.

A Bayside, N.Y., woman who bought several Girl Scout cookies since January, including Peanut Butter Patties and Adventurefuls, leads the suit.

"She believed that she was purchasing quality and safe cookies consistent with the Girl Scout's promise of ethical business practices and the representations published on the (organization's) websites," the lawsuit said, adding that she wouldn't have bought the cookies or would have paid less for them if the organization had "marketed their products accurately." 

The suit seeks at least $5 million in damages for cookie buyers for alleged violations of consumer protection and labeling laws.

The study said Girl Scout cookies tested had higher than recommended levels of at least four of five heavy metals: arsenic, aluminum, lead, cadmium and mercury, GMO Science reported in December. 

High levels of exposure can harm human health and the environment, experts say. 

The study also said the cookies -- especially the popular Thin Mints -- contain glyphosate, the active ingredient in weed-killers such as Roundup. It is a common topic among health-oriented groups and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to its potential link to cancer.

Glyphosate is used in herbicides used to treat crops around the world and experts say it probably poses little risk to the general public.

In its blog post addressing the study, the Girl Scouts said the health and safety of members and their cookie customers is their top priority.

"Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume," the group said. 

They are made in compliance with food safety and environmental standards set forth the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the blog post said.

The group pointed out that nearly all foods using plant-based ingredients, including those produced organically, may contain trace amounts of heavy metals and that trace amounts of glyphosate can be found in fruits, vegetables, cereals, baked goods and other foods and drinks.

This isn't the first lawsuit tied to the presence of heavy metals in food products, according to the news agency Reuters. It noted that several chocolate makers, including Hershey's, have faced such legal actions.

More information

There's more about food safety and product recalls at FoodSafety.gov.

SOURCES: Tribune News Service, March 12, 2025; Girl Scouts of America, blog post, Feb. 6, 2025