Girl Scouts ‘contaminated’ cookies with pesticides, demands demand

Upper line

A new demand alleges that the cookies sold by the Girl Scouts include “dangerous” metals and pesticides, although the youth organization has denied the statements in defense of its popular product, which collects hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue every year.

The non -profit organization denied the claims of its cookies include metals, arguing that some pesticides are “almost … (+ Everywhere in the food chain. “

Los Angeles Times through Getty Images

Key facts

The proposed class action, presented on Monday in the Eastern District of New York by a New York resident and other consumers, alleges that Girl Scout cookies are “contaminated with dangerous heavy metals” and pesticides.

The demand, which does not affirm that no one became ill or was damaged by the cookies, requests damage of at least $ 5 million for those who bought Girl Scout cookies in the United States, citing violations of consumer protection laws.

The demand cites a small December 2024 study By OGM Science and Moms throughout the United States, which tried samples of 25 cookies sold in three states and found that each one contained the pesticide glyphosate, while some contained at least four heavy metals, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury.

Companies in the US must comply with the Food and Medicines Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency regulations In heavy metals in food, and the FDA will work with manufacturers to “solve the problem” or prevent products from selling if they do not meet those limits.

Thin samples contained 334 times more glyphosate than recommended, while 19 cookies tested positive for cadmium levels that exceeded the limits established by the EPA, alleges the demand (the EPA recommends limiting the consumption of glyphosate about 1.75 milligrams per kilogram of body weight).

Girl Scouts of the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

Get alerts from Breaking News text messages: We are throwing text messages alerts so that the greatest stories that shape the headlines of the day always know. “Alerts” of text A (201) 335-0739 or register here.

Main critic

The explorers denied The study statements in a February blog post, arguing that heavy metals occur naturally on the ground and that glyphosate is “widely used” in agriculture and is “almost everywhere in the food chain.” The non -profit organization added that its bakers had confirmed that the levels informed in the study “do not represent a food security concern for our customers”, although the demand said that the publication of the Girl Scouts blog “cannot address the tests itself or the need to remember the products.”

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is used as a herbicide to control weeds and herbs, it is often used by producing fruits, vegetables, nuts, corn and soybeans, according To the EPA. When used, glyphosate adheres to the ground before bacteria broken down it quickly, although consumers are likely to be exposed to “very small amounts” when eating food, according to the centers for disease control and prevention. TO study Published by the agency in 2022 found that approximately 81% of the US population was exposed to glyphosate between 2013 and 2014. Nausea, vomiting and respiratory problems are probably symptoms if a large amount of glyphosate is consumed, and some health groups are. studying If the pesticide causes cancer.

Key background

The explorers Touts Its Girl Scouts cookie program such as the “largest business program in the world”, with several flavors of cookies sold from January to April. The program, which began In 1917, flee around 200 million boxes of cookies every year, according A NPR, represent approximately $ 800 million in income. The girls scouts have increase Prices for some of their cookies in recent years to combat inflation, although the group has also faced issues With labor shortage and problems of the supply chain, including energy cuts in the baking facilities in 2023.

Tangent

Hershey was defendant In December 2022, after a New York resident said that the company did not reveal “insecure levels of lead and cadmium” in some of its chocolates. Demand followed consumer reports claim Some of Hershey’s black chocolate products exceeded California standards for lead and cadmium doses. The demand is ongoing (Hershey did not respond immediately to a request for comments from Forbes).