Lawsuit Alleges Girl Scouts Sold Cookies Containing Heavy Metals, Pesticides
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The Girl Scouts allegedly violated laws when selling cookies containing heavy metals and pesticides, according to a new lawsuit.
The cookies “are contaminated with dangerous heavy metals, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury … and pesticides, including glyphosate,” according to the suit, which was filed on March 10 in federal court in New York.
Cookies are ready for ordering at the Girl Scouts of Northern California’s San Jose office on Feb. 14, 2022. Ilene Eng/The Epoch TimesAmy Mayo, the plaintiff, is seeking class action status in the litigation.
Mayo says she purchased Girl Scout cookies on numerous occasions, including three boxes on Jan. 23.
The suit points to a study conducted by the consumer organization GMOScience. Testing done by the organization found heavy metals and pesticides in cookies sold by the Girl Scouts.
The Girl Scouts said in a February blog post that their cookies “are made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities,” referring to the Food and Drug Administration.
The organization said that nearly all foods may contain trace amounts of contaminants like heavy metals as well as pesticides such as glyphosate.
“Our bakers have confirmed that the levels reported do not pose a food safety concern to our customers,” the organization said.
Mayo said that additional testing also detected toxins such as lead and mercury in the cookies.
“When Plaintiff Mayo, like the other members of the Class, purchased the Products, which were produced in the same facilities as the other Products at issue, she believed that she was purchasing quality and safe cookies consistent with Girl Scouts’ promise of ethical business practices and the representations published on Defendants’ websites. However, this was not the case,” the suit states.
“Had Defendants marketed their Products accurately and refrained from making these vital omissions regarding the presence of Toxins in their Products, Plaintiff Mayo would have been aware of this and would not have purchased the Products or would have paid substantially less for them.”
Mayo, a New York resident, sued the Girl Scouts, which is headquartered in New York, as well as Ferrero and ABC Bakers, which produce cookies for the organization.
The defendants did not respond to requests for comment.
Mayo is asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to certify a class of people who bought Girl Scout cookies. She estimates the class could cover thousands of people who bought nearly $1 billion worth of products.
Mayo also wants an order entered saying the defendants’ conduct violated consumer protection laws and awarding the class damages and restitution.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 03/12/2025 – 11:30
