Are Girl Scout Cookies Contaminated? Girl Scouts Just Gave Us An Official Update

The idea that Girl Scout cookies might be contaminated first arose in December 2024 when GMOScience and Moms Across America released a joint-commissioned reporttitled “Danger in the Dough: Unveiling the Toxic Contaminants in Girl Scout Cookies.”

The report found that 100% of the Girl Scout cookie samples they tested were positive for glyphosate and toxic metals and 88% of samples were positive for all 5 toxic metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury), with significant percentages of the samples testing positive for cadmium and lead.

In the report, both groups said that the continual sale of Girl Scout cookies poses “profound ethical and public health concerns,” and slightly called out Girl Scouts of the USA for not allocating more money towards “better ingredients."

The GMOScience and Moms Across America report also cited a lack of government oversight when it comes to food safety and that entities like the FDA and EPA “have not fulfilled their commitment.”

Despite the reports about contamination, Girl Scouts of the USA says Girl Scout Cookies are “safe to consume.” In an official statement, they assured the public that their cookies comply with FDA and EPA food safety standards. They also noted that heavy metals are not purposefully added to their cookies.

Girl Scouts of the USA made sure to note that “environmental contaminants” like heavy metals and glyphosate can occur naturally in soil, though in very small, trace amounts.

The FDA verified this, saying naturally-occurring heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury are just a “reality about our food supply.”

Girl Scouts of the USA highlighted that their cookie suppliers “continue to ensure the integrity of [their] recipes and the safety of all Girl Scout Cookie products in accordance with federal regulations and Global Food Safety initiative standards.”

The real issue at hand is not just Girl Scout cookies – it’s that our frameworks for food safety have plenty of wiggle room for toxic metals and chemicals to be present in our food.

In fact, it’s become so common that we tend to forget all about it – likely why cookie lovers were up in arms about the contamination news.

GMOScience and Moms Across America echoed this exact sentiment in their report, calling for the development of organic and regenerative farming to eradicate potential contamination altogether.

They also called on Girl Scouts of the USA to play a larger role in “transforming our food and farming system.”