The cookies, which contain a fruit filling, are promoted by the manufacturer ABC Bakers as boasting “all the nutrient benefits of eating cranberries, pomegranates, oranges, grapes, and strawberries!” and “a delicious new way to get your vitamins”, when they are in fact also loaded with refined carbs, fat and sugar, claims Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan.
“If there were a badge for misleading marketing I’m afraid the Girl Scouts of the USA just earned it.”
In a letter to Girl Scouts of America CEO Anna Maria Chávez, Wootan and CSPI’s executive director Michael F. Jacobson urge the organization to “support healthy eating through all of its educational activities, including fundraising”.
The cookies contain 15% of the RDI of Vitamin B1 per serving and 5% RDI of Vitamins A, C, D, E, and B6.
The Gil Scouts did not respond to requests for comment before this article went to press.