New Girl Scouts class action claims cookies contain unsafe levels of heavy metals, pesticides

Girl Scout cookies class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Jeanine Finkelstein filed a class action lawsuit against Girl Scouts of the United States of America and Ferrero U.S.A. Inc.
• Why: Finkelstein claims the defendants sell Girl Scouts cookies that contain unsafe levels of dangerous heavy metals and pesticides.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

A new class action lawsuit, filed June 13, alleges Girl Scouts sells cookies containing unsafe levels of heavy metals and pesticides while a similar case filed in March, also in NY, remains pending.

Plaintiff Jeanine Finkelstein accuses Girl Scouts of the United States of America and Ferrero U.S.A of producing and distributing cookies contaminated with dangerous heavy metals, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, as well as pesticides such as glyphosate.

Finkelstein argues “extensive” testing conducted in the latter half of 2024 found 100% of the cookies contained at least four out of five heavy metals.

“While the entire sales practice system for Girl Scout Cookies is built on a foundation of ethics and teaching young girls sustainable business practices, Defendants failed to uphold this standard themselves and failed as well to address the concerns raised in the laboratory testing that took place,” the Girl Scouts class action says. 

Finkelstein wants to represent a nationwide class and New York subclass of consumers who purchased Girl Scout cookies from the beginning of any applicable statute of limitations period through the date of judgment or until the conduct alleged ceases.

Girl Scouts failed to address laboratory testing in 2025 blog post, class action says

Finkelstein argues 76% of Girl Scout cookie products tested positive for levels of cadmium that exceeded Environmental Protection Agency limits in water, while 96% of the products contained lead. 

In February 2025, Girl Scouts released a blog post on its website in an attempt to address the controversy that stemmed from the laboratory results, the complaint says. However, the blog post failed to address the testing itself or the necessity to recall the products, Finkelstein claims.

“Girl Scouts double-down on its prior statements and declares: ‘Girl Scout Cookies are made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities,’” the Girl Scouts class action says. 

Finkelstein claims Girl Scouts and Ferrero are guilty of unjust enrichment and violating New York consumer protection law. She demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of actual and statutory damages for herself and all class members.

A similar class action was filed against Girl Scouts, Ferrero and Interbake Foods earlier this year. Claims against Interbake Foods were ultimately dropped from that case while one of the named plaintiffs went on to voluntarily dismiss her claims without prejudice. Two of the plaintiffs’ claims remain pending in New York federal court. 

Have you purchased Girl Scout cookies? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Jason P. Sultzer of Sultzer & Lipari, PLLC.

The Girl Scout cookies class action lawsuit is Finkelstein, et al. v. Girl Scouts of the United States of America et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-03343 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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