Nutrition advocates chose National Girl Scout Cookie Day to take the organization to task for marketing the organization's newest cookie as "a delicious new way to get your vitamins."
"It's bad enough that the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. sells cookies to raise money, but it shouldn't pretend that its new 'Mango Crèmes with NutriFusion' are nutritionally equivalent to fruit," said the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which fired off a letter Friday to Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chávez.
On the Web page for the cookie's baker, ABC Bakers claims that the cookie's mango-flavored crème filling has "all the nutrient benefits of eating cranberries, pomegranates, oranges, grapes and strawberries."
“If there were a badge for misleading marketing, I’m afraid the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. just earned it,” said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for CSPI.
In the letter, CSPI asks the Girl Scouts to immediately stop promoting the cookies as "healthful" and "find a healthier way to raise funds."
This isn't the first time the CSPI has gone after the Girl Scouts for adding to the childhood obesity rates with its cookie promotions. Last year, the CSPI took the Girl Scouts to task for a licensing deal with Nestlé to co-brand candy bars.
The Girl Scouts were not immediately available for comment.