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The Girl Scouts of the USA is responding to recent claims that its cookies contain “toxic” metals and other potentially harmful ingredients.
A study by the nonprofit group Moms Across America, in partnership with GMOScience, claimed that Girl Scout cookies were tested for contaminants and found to contain traces of toxic metals and glyphosate, which is a herbicide commonly used to kill weeds.
Joe Rogan on Monday referenced the report on his podcast, calling the cookies “toxic as [expletive].”
A spokesperson for the Girl Scouts of the USA told Fox News Digital this week, however, that its cookies are safe and meet all US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards.
“The health and safety of our customers is our top priority,” the Girl Scouts, headquartered in New York City, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“All Girl Scout cookies are produced by our trusted licensed bakers, who are leaders in their industry and adhere to rigorous food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities,” the group also said.
The study revealed that 22 of 25 cookie samples tested positive for all five metals – aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, according to Moms Across America.
Thin Mints were found to contain the highest level of glyphosate — while Peanut Butter Patties had the highest level of toxic metals, Moms Across America claimed.
In a Feb. 6 post on its official blog, the Girl Scouts of the USA issued a response to the report.
“Rest assured: Girl Scout cookies are safe to consume,” it said.
The Girl Scouts went on to claim that environmental contaminants, which can include heavy metals, “can occur naturally in soil.”
“This means that nearly all foods using plant-based ingredients, including organic foods, may contain trace amounts,” according to the blog. “This does not mean that these foods are harmful to consume.”
The Girl Scouts also said that glyphosate “is found nearly everywhere in the food chain.”
“Trace amounts of glyphosate can be found in fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, baked goods, and other food and beverage commodities,” the blog said.
“Similarly, small amounts of heavy metals can be found naturally in the environment, including in food products, due to air, water and soil exposure. These metals are not added to our Girl Scout cookies.”
The Girl Scouts said its bakers “confirmed that the levels reported do not pose a food safety concern to our customers.”
A “questions and answers” page about glyphosate found on the FDA’s website provides more details about the use of the herbicide on certain crops.
“Certain trace amounts of pesticides, or pesticide chemical residues, may remain in or on some crops after they’re harvested,” the FDA said.
“The FDA’s role is to ensure that pesticide chemical residues on or in domestic and imported foods do not exceed the limits established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
The EPA “has established tolerances for glyphosate on a wide range of human and animal food crops, including corn, soybean, oil seeds, grains, and some fruits and vegetables.”
“According to the EPA, glyphosate has a low toxicity for people.”
Several social media posts incorrectly suggested that Girl Scout cookies had been recalled.
The Girl Scouts of the USA has been around since 1912.
The first recorded sales of cookies to fund troop activities was in 1917.
Today’s debate and concern about ingredients in many common foods comes as the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement gains steam with the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health & Human Services.
