Every year, Girl Scouts of the USA turn to loved ones and fundraising strategies to sell millions of cookies. From Thin Mints to Samoas, the sweet treats have become a household name. Now, a woman from New York is suing the organization, citing a study that claims the cookies contain heavy metals and pesticides.
RELATED: Girl Scouts Say They Have 15 Million Boxes Of Unsold Cookies Due To The Pandemic
Breakdown Of Girl Scouts Cookie Lawsuit
The woman filed her lawsuit about the Girl Scouts cookies under the name Amy Mayo on Monday, March 10. She’s seeking $5 million from the organization and the manufacturers involved, Ferrero and ABC Bakers. Mayo accuses the defendants of producing and selling contaminated food items. She alleges that dangerous metals like arsenic, aluminum, lead, mercury, and cadmium are in the cookies. Additionally, the lawsuit mentions the presence of pesticides like glyphosate.
The suit further claims that the organization is using children to rake in at least $1 billion annually on the desserts. It’s unclear if Amy had any encounters with the Girl Scouts cookies that led to illness or if her lawsuit is entirely based on the study.
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Here’s What The Study Claims
As mentioned, Amy Mayo’s lawsuit cites an extensive 2024 study into the famous cookies. According to PEOPLE, GMOScience and Moms Across America led the study, which involved pulling 25 test boxes in California, Iowa, and Louisiana.
11 treats were tested, including: Adventurefuls, Caramel deLites (Samoas), Peanut Butter Sandwich (Do-si-dos), Girl Scout S’mores, Lemonades, Lemon-Ups, Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs), Thin Mints, Toast-Yay!, Toffee-tastic, and Trefoils.
The alleged test results revealed the presence of at least four to five heavy metals in ALL of the popular treats listed. However, that study has faced some controversy for how it positioned its findings and even sparked a false rumor about recalls. Forbes reported that over 37 million posts appeared under the search “Girl Scout Cookies Recall 2025” in late February.
Girl Scouts Previously Reacted To Cookies Study
On the sixth of last month, Girl Scouts addressed the recall rumors and the study’s findings on the cookies.
“The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority. Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume,” the statement read. Adding, “Girl Scout Cookies are made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities.”
The organization insisted that its baking partners are not adding heavy metals to its sweet treats. “While such occurrences are not unique to Girl Scout Cookies, our trusted baking partners continue to ensure the integrity of our recipes and the safety of all Girl Scout Cookie products in accordance with federal regulations and Global Food Safety Initiative standards. Our bakers have confirmed that the levels reported do not pose a food safety concern to our customers.”
You can see Girl Scouts’ full statement on the study HERE. Meanwhile, it has not seemingly responded to the pending lawsuit in New York. The 2025 cookie-selling season began in early January.
