Editor’s Note: This is an opinion piece and does not represent the opinion of Beaver’s Digest. This op-ed reflects the personal opinions of the writer.
A report making misleading claims about the discovery of toxic chemicals in a variety of Girl Scout cookies has stoked fears about food safety. But what does this hoax reveal about public health and scientific literacy?
A chemical analysis of 25 samples of Girl Scout cookies was commissioned by the non-profit organizations Moms Across America and GMOScience. While the analysis did discover the presence of four heavy metals considered to be environmental contaminants by the Food and Drug Administration, their concentrations all fell well below the FDA’s regulatory limits, and most cookies contained only trace amounts.
In a dishonest misrepresentation of the data, Moms Across America and GMOScience claimed that the tested Girl Scout cookies contained heavy metals in quantities that exceeded regulatory standards. The catch? Instead of using the FDA’s food safety guidelines, Moms Across America graded the cookies against the Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standards.
Also discovered in trace amounts was the widely used herbicide glyphosate. The EPA establishes guidelines for the allowable presence of glyphosate in agricultural products, from 0.1 to 400 parts per million. While Moms Across America and GMOScience claimed there were “very elevated” levels of glyphosate in the Girl Scout cookies, only one sample out of the 25 contained enough glyphosate to even fall within this range, at 0.11 parts per million.
But all of this begs the question: Why are these chemicals in our food at all?
According to the FDA, environmental contaminants can be present in foods because they are in the soil, water or air where foods are grown, raised or processed. Heavy metals can naturally occur in the environment or result from human activities.
Synthetic contaminants such as dioxins, “forever chemicals” and plastics can also be found in food, water and the environment due to their presence in consumer products or industrial pollution.
Regulatory agencies, particularly the EPA and FDA, are tasked with reducing human exposure to these toxic contaminants. The FDA tests food products sold in the United States, including Girl Scout cookies, making Moms Across America and GMOScience’s report redundant to begin with, useful for nothing more than fearmongering and misrepresentation. But to what end?
In twin blog posts on Moms Across America and GMOScience’s websites, “cancer, endocrine disruption, gut issues, miscarriages, sperm damage, autism, neurotoxicity, and reproductive damage” are listed as health issues that may result from the enjoyment of Girl Scout cookies. Then, under an image of an innocent-looking young girl eating a no doubt poisoned cookie, the blog posts devolve into an anti-government tirade.
They claim that regulatory agencies, like the EPA and FDA, have failed to fulfill their duties to protect the public from harmful environmental contaminants. Instead, noble “citizen scientists” such as Zen Honeycutt, the founder and executive director of Moms Across America, should take the reins.
“Anti-establishment” voices stand out in the current political climate, channeling health anxiety into distrust of the regulatory agencies that keep us safe.
When basic medical care, even with insurance, can result in debt and bankruptcy, the belief that you can gain control over your health through your purchasing decisions as a consumer is comforting — and lucrative.
As it turns out, Moms Across America has a “Health Store” page on their website where you can purchase various products and supplements, including underwear that blocks WiFi radiation, as well as “LifeWave Frequency Patches,” promising to activate stem cells “to naturally repair, support healing and reverse aging of your body” for just $299. If you happen to eat any Girl Scout cookies, they also sell a “30 Day Heavy Metal and Chemical Cleanse Program” for $199.
The infamous conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is a pioneer of “alternative health” grifting. InfoWars, the company founded by Jones, made over $165 million between 2015-2018 by selling supplements and other products. Stoking fear and health anxiety within his audience, Jones would then offer cure-alls, cleanses and post-apocalyptic survival gear in the InfoWars shop.
This is a business model with a proven track record, but disastrous public health consequences. One area of medical science that alternative health gurus have been particularly distrustful of is vaccines.
The Trump administration’s health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the highest public health official in the United States, has been a vocal skeptic of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which has been falsely suggested as a cause of autism.
Honeycutt, a vocal supporter of RFK Jr., who has advocated on his behalf in multiple Fox News interviews, published a report claiming that the supposed presence of glyphosate in MMR vaccines could explain the supposed link between vaccines and autism. Comprehensive studies have shown that there is no association between autism and the MMR vaccine. Yet despite repeated debunking and a complete lack of evidence, the myth persists, potentially contributing to declining vaccination rates in the United States.
As a result of low vaccination rates, a measles outbreak that began in Texas has now spread to Oklahoma and New Mexico, with at least 279 reported cases, all but two of which are affecting unvaccinated people. The true number of cases is believed to be much higher.
After 10 years without a measles-related death, already two people have died as a result of the outbreak, one of which was a young girl. Her father cited concerns about the MMR vaccine’s ingredients as a reason for not vaccinating her. Following her death, her parents gave an interview urging people not to get vaccinated, instead promoting an alternative medicine regimen to fight measles consisting of cod liver oil supplements and off-label use of steroidal inhalers designed to treat asthma.
The health anxiety, conspiracy theories and snake oil peddled by alternative health gurus are a threat to public health, scientific literacy and the regulatory agencies that keep us safe. The next time you see a sensationalized report claiming another one of your favorite products is poisoned, be skeptical of its source. There’s a good chance they’re trying to sell you something and promote distrust of the scientific community and regulatory agencies.
Girl Scout cookies are safe, so go support the young entrepreneurs in your community and enjoy your thin mints with peace of mind.
