The Lady Scouts are being sued after a examine commissioned by shopper advocacy teams revealed the presence of heavy metals and pesticides of their iconic cookies. The lawsuit alleges that the group misled shoppers by failing to reveal toxins discovered within the cookies, which embody aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and glyphosate.
Filed by New York resident Amy Mayo, the lawsuit, which names cookie producers Ferrero U.S.A. and Interbake Meals (working as ABC Bakers) as co-defendants, seeks $5 million in damages for U.S. patrons, USA Right this moment reported.
The go well with additionally requires up to date packaging to mirror the presence of probably dangerous substances.
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In accordance with the examine carried out by Mothers Throughout America and GMO Science, all cookies examined contained heavy metals, with 88% of samples testing constructive for 5 poisonous metals.
Glyphosate, an herbicide linked to well being issues, was additionally detected in each pattern, with some cookies exhibiting ranges 334 instances greater than beneficial thresholds for security.
The lawsuit argues that buyers wouldn’t have bought the cookies if they’d recognized concerning the contamination, accusing the Lady Scouts and their companions of violating shopper safety legal guidelines and profiting unjustly from the gross sales of those merchandise.
Nonetheless, the examine has confronted criticism for its lack of peer overview and using water security limits established by the Environmental Safety Company relatively than food-specific requirements set by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration.
The Lady Scouts defended their cookies in a weblog publish final month.
“The well being and security of Lady Scouts and cookie prospects is our high precedence,” the group acknowledged, including that hint quantities of heavy metals and pesticides naturally happen in lots of meals as a result of environmental publicity.
The assertion sought to reassure shoppers that Lady Scouts cookies are protected to eat and cling to requirements set by the FDA, EPA and the World Meals Security Initiative.
The Lady Scouts additionally clarified that heavy metals should not deliberately added to the cookies however is perhaps current as a result of environmental contaminants.
Advocates for natural and regenerative farming practices, together with Mothers Throughout America, have known as on the Lady Scouts to take proactive measures. These embody sourcing non-GMO components, eliminating glyphosate-treated crops and reformulating recipes to exclude dangerous substances.
Podcaster Joe Rogan shared the examine on his platform, which led to widespread dialogue on TikTok and different networks.
Lady Scouts cookie gross sales generate about $800 million yearly. The group has greater than 1.7 million members and 700,000 volunteers. As a fundraising software, the cookie program teaches younger ladies entrepreneurial expertise and builds confidence.
Mothers Throughout America has proposed a timeline for transitioning to natural and regeneratively grown components, which they are saying would cut back contamination ranges and enhance the dietary high quality of the cookies.
