Podcaster Joe Rogan’s warning that Girl Scout Cookies are “toxic” has prompted the organization to push back and insist that the treats its members have sold to households door-to-door for more than a century pose no threat to public health.
On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience featuring actor Woody Harrelson, the pair discussed chemical additives in mass produced American foods, a pet theme of Donald Trump’s new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Rogan read aloud from a study carried out by the nonprofit group Moms Across America in partnership with GMOScience – which was not peer-reviewed or published in an academic journal – that alleged that testing of 25 cookie samples across three states found them to contain traces of metals and the herbicide glyphosate.
“They’ve done studies on Girl Scout Cookies, where they break them down and find out what’s in them,” the host recounted as he scanned the report during the recording.
“Holy s***! They’re f***ing toxic as f***! Thin Mints being the worst offenders. Five flavors of Girl Scout Cookies contained levels of glyphosate and heavy metals above EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] water safety limits.”
Rogan read on: “New investigation found a hundred percent of tested Girl Scout Cookies contain glyphosate – one hundred percent! – controversial herbicide in Roundup, 88 percent contain toxic metals like arsenic, lead and mercury.”
Tech billionaire Elon Musk was sufficiently worried by a clip of the episode to ask on X: “Is this real?”
Responding, Girl Scouts of the USA, which was founded in 1912 and has sold cookies to American families since at least 1917, told Fox News: “The health and safety of our customers is our top priority.
“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 [Food and Drug Administration] and other relevant authorities.”
The organization has also been forced this month to address false social media rumors that their products have been recalled and previously addressed the Moms Across America study in a February 6 post on its official blog, declaring: “Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume.”
The post explained that environmental contaminants including heavy metals “can occur naturally in soil.”
“This means that nearly all foods using plant-based ingredients, including organic foods, may contain trace amounts,” it continued. “This does not mean that these foods are harmful to consume.”
The post further argued 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,” it 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’ explanation is backed up by the FDA, which states on its website: “Certain trace amounts of pesticides, or pesticide chemical residues, may remain in or on some crops after they’re harvested.
“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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
It adds that 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” and concluded that glyphosate “has a low toxicity for people.”
