The Girl Scouts of the USA caught quite a bit of heat over the past week after introducing its new Mango Creme, and suggesting that the cookie has the nutritional equivalent of fruit.
"It's bad enough that the Girl Scouts of the USA sells cookies to raise money, but it shouldn't pretend that its new 'Mango Crèmes with NutriFusion' are nutritionally equivalent to fruit, wrote the Center for Science in the Public Interest in a recent press release.
The Center said, "the cookies at issue are 98 percent white flour, sugar, palm oil, and dextrose (sugar made from corn). Yet marketing copy on the manufacturer's website claims that its filling has 'all the nutrient benefits of eating cranberries, pomegranates, oranges, grapes, and strawberries!'"
In a letter to Girl Scouts of America CEO Anna Maria Chávez, CSPI says that by marketing these new cookies as a "delicious new way to get your vitamins," the Girl Scouts is misleading its young members and undermining their health.
What do you think? Do you think the Scouts were out of line in trying to equate a cookie with an apple? Do you think it's no big deal? Have you tried the Mango Cremes!?