A New York woman appears to have had second thoughts after filing a massive lawsuit against the Girl Scouts alleging that she bought the organization’s famous cookies without knowing that they contained “dangerous toxins.”

Bayside resident Amy Mayo filed a proposed class action lawsuit Monday against Girl Scouts of the United States of America, in which she sought $5 million in damages for having purchased cookies “contaminated with dangerous heavy metals” and pesticides. Mayo said that she bought numerous products such as Adventurefuls, Peanut Butter Patties, and Caramel deLites — always believing that they were safe cookies.

Although Mayo did not argue that any one was harmed in any way by the cookies, she said she “would have paid substantially less” for the cookies had she knows that they contained “dangerous toxins.”

Mayo’s lawsuit came just days after podcast host Joe Rogan made a claim on his popular show that the cookies are toxic, citing a flawed study by a group called Moms Across America, which has a history of promoting conspiracy theories about food and food science.

“Holy s—! They’re f—ing toxic as f—!” Rogan said, before adding: “Thin Mints being the worst offenders.”

“Five flavors of Girl Scout Cookies contained levels of glyphosate and heavy metals above EPA water safety limits,” Rogan also said.

He went on to cite the study.

As Forbes pointed out in a Feb. 26 article addressing rumors of cookie toxicity, the study was not peer-reviewed or published in any scientific journal. Further, it tested just 25 cookie samples from three states. While it found trace amounts of glyphosate and heavy metals, the study did not compare these findings to federal food safety standards, but instead used EPA water safety limits, which do not apply to food.

Glyphosate is a widely-used chemical found in some weed killers, and the Centers for Disease Control has estimated that 81% of the U.S. population has had recent exposure to glyphosate. Exposure to the toxin is possible through diet, skin contact, and air particles, and the chemical can be found in fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, and cereals. The FDA and USDA both allow residues of pesticides and metals in foods at levels deemed non-harmful, and regulatory agencies regularly test food products for compliance.

Mayo’s lawsuit also cited the study in the 35-page complaint filed in federal court in New York. The complaint named not only the Girl Scouts as defendants, but also the cookies’ licensed producers, ABC Bakers and Ferrero USA’s Little Brownie Bakers.

After Rogan’s podcast, but before Mayo’s lawsuit was filed, the Girl Scouts told USA TODAY that customers’ health and safety is a top priority.

“All Girl Scout Cookies are produced by our trusted licensed bakers, who are leaders in their industry and adhere to rigorous food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities,” the organization said. “When you buy Girl Scout Cookies, proceeds stay local, every purchase of Girl Scout Cookies supports local troops in your community.”

In a Feb. 2 blog post, the Girl Scouts specifically addressed some of the allegations in the Moms Across America study.

“Girl Scout Cookies are made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities,” the post said.

It went on to provide context:

• Environmental contaminants — which can include heavy metals — can occur naturally in soil. This means that nearly all foods using plant-based ingredients, including organic foods, may contain trace amounts. This does not mean that these foods are harmful to consume.
• Glyphosate is widely used in agriculture in accordance with established EPA standards and is found nearly everywhere in the food chain. Trace amounts of glyphosate can be found in fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, baked goods, and other food and beverage commodities.
• Similarly, small amounts of heavy metals can be found naturally in the environment, including in food products, due to air, water, and soil exposure.
• These metals are not added to our Girl Scout Cookies.
• While such occurrences are not unique to Girl Scout Cookies, our trusted baking partners continue to ensure the integrity of our recipes and the safety of all Girl Scout Cookie products in accordance with federal regulations and Global Food Safety initiative standards.
• Our bakers have confirmed that the levels reported do not pose a food safety concern to our customers.

Mayo’s complaint, however, maintained that while Girl Scouts touted their cookies as being made by “trusted bakers” using “high quality products,” they are actually loaded with harmful toxins.