By Tracy Beanz & Michelle Edwards
Girl Scout Cookies, a financing tool of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) since 1917, were initially home baked by Girl Scouts and their moms to finance troop activities. Today, two commercial bakers are licensed to produce Girl Scout Cookies. And, despite claiming they are full of “top-quality ingredients,” the cookies contain suspicious elements like natural and artificial flavors. But it gets even worse. Raking in $800 million a year, Girl Scout Cookies are intentionally formulated with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), and 100 percent of the thirteen types of twenty-five cookies test positive for both cancer-causing glyphosate and toxic metals.
A recent article published by Moms Across America, written by health warriors Michelle Perro, MD, Stephanie Seneff, PhD, and Zen Honeycutt, BFA, reveals that 100 percent of the cookies tested contained at least 4 out of 5 heavy metals: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Peanut Butter Patties® were the most contaminated, with mercury levels at 0.07 ppb, lead at 42.5 ppb, and aluminum at 27,500 ppb. The source of aluminum is vague, but non-organic peanut crops are heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals. Of the 25 samples tested, 88 percent (22 cookies) contained all five toxic metals. Additionally, 76 percent of the cookies had cadmium levels exceeding EPA limits for water, and 96 percent contained lead, which has no safe exposure level. Both cadmium and lead are linked to cancer and brain disorders.
Thin Mints had the highest levels of the poison glyphosate. As is now well-documented, glyphosate is regularly used as a drying agent (aka desiccant) before harvesting on many crops, including oats, wheat, barley, legumes, sugar cane, and other crops. It is also used as a weed killer on GMO crops that are standard ingredients in Girl Scout Cookies, including beet sugar, corn, soy, and canola. The article highlights the shocking amount of glyphosate in the popular cookies, informing:
“From 13.57 ppb in Peanut Butter Patties® to 111.07 in Thin Mints®, the average amount is 33.43, 334 times higher than what Dr. Don Huber, Professor Emeritus of Perdue, states is harmful and must be avoided.”
There are two commercial bakeries licensed to crank out the toxic Girl Scout Cookies. They are ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. And, as previously mentioned, both use GMOs in their cookies. Previously held by Kellogg’s, Little Brownie Bakers is owned by Ferrero U.S.A. Inc. In addition to Girl Scout Cookies, this Italian company produces numerous ultra-processed sugar-laden snacks, including BabyRuth, Butterfinger, Keebler products, Famous Amos, Nutella, and Tic Tacs. The other company, ABC Bakers, is a division of “socially responsible” Canada-based Weston Foods, which produces starchy products, including Wonder Bread. Interestingly, Girl Scout Cookies with the same name but made by one baker or the other can vary significantly in appearance and ingredients. These differences also affect the cookie’s calorie count, fat, sugar, and protein content.
Perro, Seneff, and Honeycutt, along with consumer groups, GMOScience, Moms Across America, and other supporters, have declared enough is enough. The group aims to hold Girl Scouts of America to a higher standard because our nation’s children deserve better. They rightly stress that the sale of Girl Scout cookies containing potentially toxic ingredients raises significant ethical and public health concerns. Notably, this is not the first time Girl Scout Cookies have been put under the microscope. In 2015, after discovering many concerning issues, Leah Segedie of Mamavation published an article critiquing Girl Scout Cookies. 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. Presently, both ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers stress they do not use high fructose corn syrup, but that is not good enough.
Honeycutt and others assert that the Girl Scouts organization must address whether reformulating these products to prioritize consumer safety aligns with their core mission, which they claim is to promote the health and well-being of the girls and communities they serve. The article notes that taking action to make their cookies healthier would not only protect public trust but also strengthen the Girl Scouts’ dedication to its stated values of building “courage, confidence, and character” in young girls. As the authors point out, financially, the Girl Scouts appears capable of implementing such significant changes, with reported revenue of $112 million in 2020 and an $800 million annual cookie enterprise selling over 200 million boxes. Reformulating its cookie ingredients would undoubtedly reflect the company’s values and commitment to empowering its members and communities. They believe the solution is organic, regenerative farming, writing in GMO Science:
“The Girl Scouts could lead the way in transforming our food and farming system by championing toxic-free, nutrient-dense cookies made with organic and regeneratively grown ingredients. Selling 200 million cookies each year, primarily made of wheat flour, equates to a buying power of over 2.2 million bushels of wheat at a market price of $7.15 per bushel which equals approximately 16 million dollars’ worth of wheat.
If the GSUSA chose to inform their suppliers that they are transitioning to only organically and regeneratively grown wheat within a reasonable time frame, they would expect to see a drastic reduction in toxicants and a rise in nutrients within a year or two. The girls of Girl Scouts, and their parents, could be confident to be a part of a courageous organization that cares about their character, integrity, and responsibility for their fundraising products and the health of our nation.”
The groups—which reached out to the GSUSA for a meeting but had not received a response before releasing their cookie toxicity results on December 27, 2024—is encouraging GSUSA, their supporters, and parents to urge the organization to take the lead in transitioning America’s wheat farming practices to organic and regenerative methods. This shift would eliminate the use of glyphosate, other toxic drying agents, and fertilizers contaminated with harmful metals. Furthermore, by embracing this mission, the Girl Scouts would empower their members to become leaders in promoting soil health, improving crop quality, and fostering the production of non-toxic, nutrient-rich foods. Together, they have the opportunity to contribute to nourishing the nation and building a healthier, more sustainable future. Indeed, until then, many health-conscious individuals will opt out of buying and consuming these once-uncorrupted cookies.
