For Cookie Volunteers

Update to Girl Scout Cookie Packaging

Allergen Disclosure (2021-2022)

Q: Why was a precautionary allergen statement added to the label?
A: All packaged foods in the U.S. including Girl Scout Cookies are required to identify any of the top 8 food allergens present as ingredients either in the ingredients list or through a “Contains” statement. A precautionary allergen disclosure (“Manufactured in a shared facility with” statement) was added to our labels to declare the presence of allergens in the bakery where Girl Scout Cookies are made. This update was made to be transparent and sensitive to the needs of our customers.

Q: What is the process for sanitizing lines/preventing cross-contact in the bakeries?
A: All Girl Scout Cookies are baked in state-of-the-art facilities operating under good manufacturing practices in order to prevent allergen cross-contact. All Little Brownie products and manufacturing facilities that produce Girl Scout Cookies undergo a comprehensive assessment and qualification to ensure compliance with FDA guidelines. Girl Scout Cookies from Little Brownie Bakers are baked on a production line that is thoroughly cleaned between production runs and tested to make sure the line is free of allergens.

Q: Has the manufacturing process for Toffee-tastic® changed?
A: No. Customers will be buying the same Toffee-tastic Girl Scout Cookies they know and love—and purchase year after year—with no changes made to the manufacturing process.

Q: How is Toffee-tastic Certified Gluten-Free if it is made in a bakery with wheat?
A: All gluten-containing formulas and ingredients are segregated from Toffee-tastic using good manufacturing practices. The production line has a designated mixer for gluten-free and the dough mixing process is segregated from the other areas in the bakery when Toffee-tastic is in production. Toffee-tastic cookies baked by Little Brownie Bakers have been Certified Gluten-Free by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), a third-party organization that verifies through testing of the production line and the finished product that the cookies meet FDA guidelines for labeling them gluten-free. Toffee-tastic cookies are baked on a production line that is cleaned between production runs and tested to make sure the line is free of gluten. The NSF Gluten-FreeCertification seal appears on the side of the Toffee-tastic package. For more information, visit the NSF website.

Q: What is the process for sanitizing lines/preventing cross-contact in the bakery where Toffee-Tastic is made?
A: All gluten-containing formulas and ingredients are segregated from Toffee-tastic using good manufacturing practices. All Little Brownie products and manufacturing facilities that produce gluten-free products including Toffee-tastic Girl Scout Cookies undergo a comprehensive assessment and qualification to ensure compliance with regulations regarding gluten-free designated foods. LBB is certified annually while Toffee-tastic cookies are in production by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). The production line is cleaned, new belts are installed, and the production line is tested by NSF to make sure it is free of gluten prior to production. All production lots of Toffee Tastic are sent off to a 3rd party lab for Gluten Free testing per NSF Gluten-Free Protocol under the certification. The NSF Gluten-Free Certification seal appears on the side of the Toffee-tastic package. For more information, visit the NSF website.

Q: What does “manufactured in a shared facility with [for example, peanuts and eggs].” mean?
A: This means that the listed allergens (e.g., peanuts, eggs) are not ingredients in the cookies, but they are ingredients in other products made in the same facility. Girl Scout Cookies are baked in facilities where food safety protocols are adhered to based on FDA guidelines to fully clean production lines and prevent cross-contact of ingredients.

Q: How are allergen ingredients and products managed in the bakery?
A: Girl Scout Cookies are baked in facilities where food safety protocols are adhered to based on FDA guidelines to prevent cross-contact with allergenic ingredients, like peanuts or tree nuts. Ingredients with allergens are clearly labeled, stored separately from other ingredients, and handled by trained professional bakers in ways that prevent cross-contact with other ingredients and products. When allergenic ingredients are used on the equipment, the equipment is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to ensure the equipment is free of allergens before it is used to make other products.

Q: Do Girl Scout Cookies contain sesame?
A: No, Girl Scout Cookies do not contain sesame as an ingredient.

Q: Is sesame present in the bakery where Girl Scout Cookies are baked?
A: Sesame is only present as an ingredient in the bakery where Girl Scout S’mores is produced. Sesame is not present as an ingredient in the bakery where the other Girl Scout Cookie varieties are produced.

Q: How come sesame is not listed as an allergen in the precautionary allergen disclosure on the Girl Scout S’mores packaging?
A: In the Spring of 2021, The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment Education, and Research Act became law and named sesame as the 9th food listed as a major allergen. Food manufacturers have until January 1, 2023, to update packaging labels.