Girl Scouts of the USA has been hit with a lawsuit claiming its cookies are contaminated with dangerous heavy metals and pesticides, an allegation the Georgia-founded organization denies as its members sell millions of boxes of baked treats.
New York residents claim in their federal lawsuit that the cookies sold by Girl Scouts contain aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury as well as pesticides including glyphosate. The plaintiffs, Danielle Barbaro and Judy Cholewa, seek compensation for everyone in the country who bought Girl Scouts cookies within any applicable period under the law.
“As a result of its deceptive acts and practices, (Girl Scouts) sold millions of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to unsuspecting consumers nationwide,” the complaint states.
Girl Scouts responded to the allegations in a public blog, saying its cookies are made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other relevant authorities.
“The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority,” the company wrote in the blog. ”Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume.”