One hundred percent of the cookies contained at least 4 out of 5 heavy and toxic metals, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. The Peanut Butter Patties® were the most contaminated, ranging from the lowest level of mercury at .07 ppb of mercury to the highest levels of lead at 42.5 ppb and aluminum, at 27.5 ppm (27,500 ppb). The source of the high levels of aluminum is unclear. However, non-organic peanut crops are one of the most highly sprayed crops with some of the most toxic chemicals. Of the samples tested, 22 out of 25 (88%) were positive for all 5 toxic metals. Thin mints had the highest levels of glyphosate, and the peanut butter patties had the highest levels of toxic metals.
Seventy-six percent of the cookies tested positive for levels of cadmium that exceeded EPA limits in water, and 96% of the cookies contained lead. There is no safe level of lead. Cadmium and lead have been linked to cancer and brain disorders.
In 2020, the Girl Scouts reported total revenue of $112 million, a slight decline from $122 million in 2019. This revenue was primarily derived from three key sources: Membership dues, which accounted for $50 million; investment income, royalties, and gains totaling $28 million; and the sale of inventory, contributing $17 million.2 Notably, according to a Fox News article, the sale of Girl Scout cookies represents an $800 million annual enterprise, with scouts collectively selling over 200 million boxes each year.3
According to the Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA), the net proceeds from their cookie sales are given to the local groups which had total sales to chartered councils of $10,149,000 in fiscal 2021.4 The decline in revenue was attributed to decreased sales during Covid.
Clearly the Girls Scouts USA organization has the resources to spend a little more money on better quality ingredients.
How did America’s most treasured girl’s empowerment group end up with such toxic cookies?
A look back in history regarding the development and support of girls shows that it has its origins in the Girl Scouts. This commitment to fostering opportunity and unlocking potential for young women is deeply woven into the fabric of American history.
In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded an organization in Savannah, Georgia, sparking a nationwide movement that aimed to empower every girl to reach her fullest potential. Remarkably, this initiative began before women were even granted the right to vote, demonstrating an enduring belief in the limitless possibilities for young women long before they were recognized as equals under the law.5
The origins of Girl Scout cookies trace back over 100 years ago to the early 20th century, when resourceful young scouts and their leaders sought innovative ways to fund their growing programs. In 1917, a group of Girl Scouts from Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked and sold homemade cookies to raise money for local troop activities—a simple yet brilliant idea that would become a beloved American tradition.
By the 1930s, Girl Scout councils across the country had adopted the practice, and by 1936, commercial bakers were enlisted to meet the growing demand. What began as a grassroots effort to support leadership opportunities for girls evolved into one of the most beloved fundraisers in American history.
As per their mission statement, selling Girl Scout cookies is created to be synonymous with community spirit and entrepreneurial education, teaching girls the fundamentals of business, teamwork, and goal setting, while connecting them to a larger legacy of service and self-reliance. This iconic tradition is designed to empower future generations. Is this beautifully stated vision manifested in their cookies?
However, with this inspired legacy, why did we decide to look in between the cookie wafers and take a peak as to what else might be inside those cookies?
The Role of Non-Governmental Agencies
The first priority is identifying who is responsible for ensuring the quality of products our children consume.
Regulatory agencies are a misnomer and should be re-identified as captured agencies. Governmental organizations given the task of oversight of quality of ingredients in commercial foods (especially those aimed at children) have not fulfilled their commitment. Citizen scientists have stepped in to study everything from baby food, infant formulas, school lunches, and gluten-free products.6
Another example of how regulatory agencies have handed over the hen house to the foxes is best demonstrated by the oversight freedom granted to the Impossible Burger®. The FDA initially turned down the plant-based burger genetically engineered to taste like meat produced by GMO yeast cells, but then later granted the manufacturer the ability to police their own products without further testing.7
Groups such as ours involved in the research into the Girl Scout Cookies have witnessed, as have many others, this lack of oversight and have stepped in to provide detailed insight into what is being fed to our children, securing food safety, and, simultaneously, creating opportunities for change when necessary.
ARE ALL GIRL SCOUT COOKIES MADE EQUAL?
Not all Girl Scout cookies are produced by the same kitchens. According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, cookies can vary by name, taste, and design. The two main companies making the cookies are ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. You can even type in your zip code to have a look at the origin of the cookies you are consuming.
Cookies with the same name, but made by different bakers, can vary greatly in their appearance and ingredients. These differences also affect their calorie count, as well as their fat, sugar, and protein content. This is best illustrated by the image below:8
The Data
The Girl Scouts, Cookies, and Toxicants – What Are the Links?
This is not the first time Girl Scout Cookies have been put under the microscope. Leah Segedie, of Mamavation, published an article critiquing Girl Scout Cookies back in 2015, and she discovered many concerning issues.9 She listed primary ingredients of concern as high fructose corn syrup, GMO sugar from sugar beets, palm, cottonseed oil, soybean oils, caramel color, the thickening agent carrageenan, and artificial flavors. Most of these ingredients are core ingredients of the processed food industry, and some are known to be carcinogenic.
Our concerns are about the potential toxic contaminants that are not intended or listed as ingredients, but substances that inadvertently got into the cookies either through unsafe farming practices or during processing. We conducted a small study on 25 samples of the typical Girl Scout cookie offerings across the US from three different regions of the United States, where we specifically focused on glyphosate/AMPA and toxic metals. We felt that our results were alarming, and they raised larger concerns about the safety of many other brands of cookies that are likely manufactured using similar practices.
The health implications of toxic substances in cookies extend beyond the immediate impact on our girls and affect the public at large. Identifying and eliminating the sources of these toxic metals is imperative to safeguarding public health. Transitioning to organic ingredients would effectively address the issue of pesticide contamination, providing a cleaner and safer product.
The findings below reflect levels of glyphosate and it’s toxic breakdown product, AMPA, from Louisiana, Iowa, and California:
Girl Scout Cookie Heavy Metal Test results
What should we do?
CLICK HERE FOR HEAVY METAL DETOX TIPS
References
Ibid
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/girl-scout-cookies-what-to-know
https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/girl-scouts-of-the-usa-national-office
https://www.girlscouts.org/en/discover/about-us/history.html
https://www.momsacrossamerica.com/gluten_free_food_test_results
A Closer Look at the Impossible Burger: Is the Impossible Possible?
https://graphics.latimes.com/girl-scout-cookies/
https://www.mamavation.com/featured/girl-scout-cookies-peddling-poison.html
