The Girl Scouts allegedly violated the law when selling cookies containing heavy metals and pesticides, according to a new lawsuit.
Amy Mayo, the plaintiff, is seeking class-action status in the litigation.
Mayo says she purchased Girl Scout cookies on numerous occasions, including three boxes on Jan. 23.
The organization stated that nearly all foods may contain trace amounts of contaminants such as heavy metals as well as pesticides such as glyphosate.
“Our bakers have confirmed that the levels reported do not pose a food safety concern to our customers,” the organization stated.
Mayo said additional testing also detected toxins such as lead and mercury in the cookies.
“When Plaintiff Mayo, like the other members of the Class, purchased the Products, which were produced in the same facilities as the other Products at issue, she believed that she was purchasing quality and safe cookies consistent with Girl Scouts’ promise of ethical business practices and the representations published on Defendants’ websites. However, this was not the case,” the suit reads.
“Had Defendants marketed their Products accurately and refrained from making these vital omissions regarding the presence of Toxins in their Products, Plaintiff Mayo would have been aware of this and would not have purchased the Products or would have paid substantially less for them.”
Mayo, a New York resident, filed suit against the Girl Scouts, which is headquartered in New York, as well as Ferrero and ABC Bakers, which produce cookies for the organization.
The Girl Scouts declined to comment. The other defendants did not respond to requests for comment.
Mayo is asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to certify a class of people who bought Girl Scout cookies. She estimates the class could cover thousands of people who bought nearly $1 billion worth of products.
Mayo also wants an order entered saying the defendants’ conduct violated consumer protection laws and awarding the class damages and restitution.
