A New York woman filed a class-action lawsuit Monday against Girl Scouts of the USA, citing claims the Girl Scout cookies are loaded with “toxins.” The lawsuit seeks $5 million in damages.
The lawsuit is the latest move over viral claims Girl Scout cookies are not safe to eat. These claims were sparked by a study commissioned by groups Moms Across America and GMOScience, which found the cookies contained toxic metals and pesticides.
During a February episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan referenced the study, and called Girl Scout cookies “toxic as (expletive).”
Claims Girl Scout cookies are “toxic” and dangerous for consumption took off on social media. TikTok’s “Girl Scout Cookies Recall 2025” page has more than 37.5 million posts.
Hashtags such as #girlscoutcookiestoxins and #heavymetalsinfood have further ignited concerns about Girl Scout cookies.
But much of the concern surrounding Girl Scout cookies is unfounded. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not recalled any Girl Scout cookies, despite claims it has.
The Girl Scout program maintains that all its cookies are “made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities,” Girl Scouts wrote in a statement.
The statement continues, “Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume and are manufactured in accordance with all food safety regulations.”
A look at the Girl Scout cookie study
“Danger in the Dough: Unveiling the Toxic Contaminants in Girl Scout cookies” is the study fueling concerns about Girl Scout cookies,
According to the results of the study, “One hundred percent of the 13 types of 25 cookies tested from 3 states, California, Iowa, and Louisiana, were positive for very elevated levels of glyphosate/AMPA.”
“One hundred percent of the cookies contained at least 4 out of 5 heavy and toxic metals, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.”
An investigation of the study from Forbes found that the study compared its results to the standards held by the Environmental Protection Agency for water safety limits — which are not transferrable to food safety.
“Many food safety experts caution that trace levels of glyphosate in food are common and generally considered safe under current regulations,” per Forbes. “The FDA and USDA both allow residues of pesticides and metals in foods at levels deemed non-harmful, and regulatory agencies regularly test food products for compliance.”
The outlet also notes the study was not published in a scientific journal, was not peer-reviewed and used a small sample size of just 25 cookies which “doesn’t necessarily reflect contamination levels nationwide.”
Are Girl Scout cookies safe to eat?
Based on current FDA standards, yes, Girl Scout cookies are safe for consumption.
Girl Scouts affirms, “The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority. Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume.”
Trace amounts of environmental contaminants, such as heavy metals and glyphosate, are commonly found in foods, per the FDA. But when kept below set tolerance levels, these contaminants are not considered harmful to humans.
“These metals are not added to our Girl Scout Cookies,” the Girl Scout program notes in a statement. “Our bakers have confirmed that the levels reported do not pose a food safety concern to our customers.”