A New York woman, Amy Mayo, has initiated a class action lawsuit against Girl Scouts of the USA, seeking $5 million. She alleges that their cookies contain harmful heavy metals like arsenic and lead, citing a 2024 study that tested 25 varieties and claimed 100% contamination. Girl Scouts asserts that their cookies comply with safety regulations and that heavy metals occur naturally in soil. The controversial study gained traction on TikTok, causing misconceptions about FDA recalls, which did not occur. Experts clarify that FDA and USDA regulations allow certain pesticide and metal residue levels in food, indicating no health risks from the cookies.
A woman from New York has initiated legal action against Girl Scouts of the USA, alleging that their cookies are tainted with heavy metals.
The plaintiff, Amy Mayo, lodged the class action lawsuit on March 10, seeking $5 million in damages from the Girl Scouts, alongside cookie manufacturers Ferrero and ABC Bakers. The complaint asserts that the Girl Scouts “produce and distribute products that are contaminated with hazardous heavy metals, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, as well as pesticides like glyphosate.”
The lawsuit further details “extensive testing” carried out in 2024, which allegedly revealed that “100% of the products contained at least four out of five heavy metals” and other “extremely concerning” findings. Cookies tested from California, Iowa, and Louisiana were employed to “ensure the reliability of the testing and control for potential variations,” yet the results remained “consistent,” according to the filing.
Courtesy of Girl Scouts of the USA
On February 6, the Girl Scouts issued a statement addressing these concerns, asserting that “Girl Scout Cookies are safe for consumption and are produced in compliance with all food safety regulations.” They noted that heavy metals can naturally occur in soil, and trace amounts of glyphosate may be detected in produce. “These metals are not deliberately added to our Girl Scout Cookies,” the statement emphasizes.
The study, performed by consumer advocacy groups GMOScience and Moms Across America, examined 25 varieties of cookies. The analysis covered 11 different cookie types: Adventurefuls, Caramel deLites (also recognized as Samoas), Peanut Butter Sandwich (known as Do-si-dos), Girl Scout S’mores, Lemonades, Lemon-Ups, Peanut Butter Patties (recognized as Tagalongs), Thin Mints, Toast-Yay!, Toffee-tastic, and Trefoils.
The lawsuit highlights that the organization generates $1 billion in cookie sales each year and that the treats are marketed and sold by children.
The study’s contentious results gained traction on TikTok earlier this year, with some users alleging that the FDA had recalled the cookies, despite there being no such recall.
A Forbes article provided context for some of the findings, clarifying that the study compared its results to EPA water safety standards, which are not applicable to food, rather than FDA food safety benchmarks.
“Both the FDA and USDA permit the presence of pesticide and metal residues in food at levels considered safe,” the article added, stating that “under current FDA regulations, there is no indication that the cookies present a health hazard.”