A class action lawsuit has been filed against the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, Ferrero U.S.A., Inc., and Interbake Foods, LLC, alleging that the popular Girl Scouts Cookies contain harmful substances.
The lawsuit, lodged by plaintiff Amy Mayo on March 10, 2025, alleges that Girl Scout Cookies are contaminated with dangerous levels of heavy metals and pesticides. The plaintiff claims that extensive testing conducted in late 2024 revealed alarming levels of toxic substances such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and glyphosate in these cookies. For instance, it is alleged that Thin Mints contained glyphosate levels 334 times higher than what is considered safe by scientific standards. Despite these findings being brought to their attention through various channels including news reports and direct communication attempts from concerned groups like GMOScience and Moms Across America, the defendants have allegedly failed to take appropriate corrective actions or recall the affected products.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of misleading consumers through false advertising and failing to disclose the health risks associated with their products. According to Mayo's complaint, these omissions violate consumer protection laws under New York General Business Law sections 349 and 350. Furthermore, it argues that this deceptive conduct has unjustly enriched Ferrero U.S.A., Inc., and Interbake Foods at the expense of consumers who paid premium prices for what they believed were safe products.
Mayo seeks actual damages for herself and other affected consumers nationwide who purchased Girl Scout Cookies during the relevant period. She also demands statutory damages under New York law along with restitution for all ill-gotten gains derived from selling these allegedly tainted cookies. Additionally, she calls for an injunction requiring accurate labeling practices going forward as well as disgorgement into a constructive trust so profits can be returned equitably among those harmed by this situation.
The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Jeffrey K. Brown and Blake Hunter Yagman of Leeds Brown Law P.C. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID: 1:25-cv-01367.