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Five Facts On Girl Scout Cookie Production

Girl Scout Cookie manufacturing practices ensure your favorite cookies are safe, sustainable, and scrumptious.

Those of us impatiently crossing days off the calendar can rest easy: Girl Scout Cookie season has arrived.

You might know that Girl Scout Cookies are sold across the country and that the profits fund community service projects, scholarships, and summer camps. However, you might not be aware that the beloved cookies are sustainably produced and safe for consumers with common dietary restrictions.

1. The new packaging initiative is earth-friendly.

When it comes to sustainable packaging for Lemonades™, Thanks-A-Lot® and Cranberry Citrus Crisp cookies, the organization is thinking outside the box. Literally.

By eliminating the boxes for just three types of cookies, Girl Scouts were able to save 150 tons of paperboard and about 2,600 gallons of diesel fuel, because the new packaging allowed for more cookies per truckload.

2. The organization caters to vegan and Kosher consumers.

Following a set of dietary guidelines means making certain sacrifices, however Girl Scouts have made an effort to make their cookies available to a wide audience.

All Girl Scout Cookies are certified Kosher with the Circle UD label, and vegans can enjoy Lemonades™, Thanks-A-Lot®, Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties®.

3. Girl Scouts takes allergy safety seriously.

ABC Bakers, the oldest licensed Girl Scout Cookie baker, prioritize sensitivity to common food allergies. They teamed up with Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network to ensure cookies containing sensitive ingredients are properly labeled. ABC also practices a “product specific” allergen labeling. You can find more information on the specific compliances required for product-specific labeling on the ABC Bakers website

Gluten-free consumers can trust that the Gluten Free Trios are produced in a gluten-free facility and meet the Gluten Free Certification Organization requirements.

4. The organization responds to customer concerns.

According to Say No To Palm Oil, “The industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty, and indigenous rights abuses in countries where it is produced.”

In response to these concerns, ABC Bakers joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and began sourcing palm oil from other members of the group. Although the palm oil used in Girl Scout Cookie production is not yet 100 percent sustainably produced, the organization began incorporating sustainable palm oil in 2012 and currently uses a blend while evaluating other oil alternatives.

5. You can download the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app.

Unless you are lucky enough to stumble upon a booth, you are probably spending cookie season scouring the neighborhood for the familiar Trefoil logo.

Here is the good news: Girl Scouts of the USA premiered an app for Apple devices called “Girl Scout Cookie Finder” that makes finding the nearest cookie haven available at the push of a button.

The app helps users find the nearest cookie sale location, and it includes information on the Girl Scout Council and the different types of cookies available. The app also features sharing tools, allowing you to send the information to fellow Girl Scout Cookie fans and vote for your favorite cookie via social media.

Although Girl Scout Cookies have been around for almost a century, the organization continues to look toward the future. All this without sacrificing the sweet taste and familiar crunch of a Girl Scout Cookie. 

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