Petition To Get GMO Out Of Girl Scout Cookies Goes Viral

Last week, a precocious Girl Scout started a petition asking Girl Scouts to produce GMO-free cookies, and while it took a while for the petition to pick up steam, it now has more than 5,500 signatures.

But just like the movement against palm oil in Girl Scouts cookies, it's unclear whether the petition will actually be effective.

Already on the Girl Scouts' website, the organization's policy on GMOs is clearly set: "Our bakers determine whether to use genetically modified agricultural crops (GMOs) in Girl Scout Cookies based on a range of market-related factors," the statement says. "There are some conventional ingredients, such as sugar, which are most prominently available in the United States as GMO."

According to the statement, the Girl Scouts "feel confident in the safety of all the ingredients in Girl Scout Cookies, including GMO ingredients. It's important to note that there is worldwide scientific support that there are no safety concerns with the currently commercialized ingredients derived from genetically modified agricultural crops (GMOs) on the market."

A Girl Scouts representative tells us there has been no public discussion about changes to the formula to rid cookies of GMOs. Back in 2007, two Girl Scouts worked to rid Girl Scout cookies of palm oil after noting the ingredient's detrimental effects on rainforests and the orangutan population, but it took until 2012 for the Girl Scouts to swap out palm oil for sustainable palm oil.