Why do you use palm oil in your Girl Scout Cookies?

ABC uses palm oil in place of partially hydrogenated oils in order to get to zero grams trans fat per serving for each of our varieties. Palm oil provides the greatest stability so our cookies stay fresh and taste better longer. Palm is naturally stable, and does not require hydrogenation. This allows us to lower our trans fat to zero grams per serving. Other oil alternatives do not provide the same level of stability. It is also one of the more available and cost effective alternatives on the market, and is widely used in the retail cookie aisle.

As recommended in the Center for Science in the Public Interest's report on palm oil, ABC Bakers is committed to buying palm oil grown on rehabilitated/previously-cleared land and to using the minimum amounts possible. We also are in favor of members of the international donor community such as the World Bank, making their loans (apart from those for humanitarian aid) contingent on the recipient country's commitment to avoid unnecessary degradation of protected areas and natural forest. This would encourage and support government efforts to require that palm plantations, for example, use land that was degraded or cleared years ago but not planted. It also would bolster support for the efforts of companies that are being environmentally responsible by working on breeding and growing oil palms that produce several times more oil on the same amount of land.

ABC supports the elements identified by the WWF for sustainable palm production:

• No destruction of national forests
• No burning for land clearing
• Watercourse protection by buffer zones of natural vegetation
• Integrated pest management to reduce pesticide use
• Proper treatment of mill effluent and other wastes
• Respect for customary land-us rights of local communities

ABC encourages consumers to educate themselves on the issues surrounding palm oil. The most influential factor in the increasing demand of palm oil for use in food is likely to be China. The emerging use of palm oil for bio diesel fuel has the potential to dramatically increase demand. The issues are complex and ABC does not believe that the answers will be found in a boycott of palm oil in the United States but rather by changes in world policy. In the meantime, ABC will continue to be committed to buying palm oil from sustainable sources and to using as little as possible.

Like all consumer food manufacturers, ABC is required by law to comply with FDA requirements for labeling ingredients and nutritional information. ABC was proactive in re-formulating our Girl Scout Cookies to reduce trans fat to zero grams per serving level before the new labeling laws took effect several years ago. According to the FDA, an ingredient must be listed as zero on the label if a serving contains less than 0.5 grams. Therefore, a label can show a value of zero grams per serving, when in fact it may have less than 0.5 grams of that ingredient. ABC's Shortbread Girl Scout Cookies contain absolutely no trans fat. The trace amounts of trans fat in our enrobed cookies are the result of using oils to keep the coating (icing) from melting off the cookies. We are actively researching replacements that will provide the same benefits.

  Do Girl Scout Cookies have expiration dates?

Unlike cookies that are manufactured for the retail, Girl Scout Cookies are baked for a once-a-year sale season. There is no product carry-over from one season to the next. At ABC, Girl Scout Cookie packages are stamped with an internal production code. The production code indicates records of incoming raw materials and individual shifts in the bakery. In addition, since Girl Scout Councils across the country conduct individual cookie sales at varying times within the overall cookie sale season, we ship cookies to fill orders on the basis of first produced, first shipped. This system is referred to as FIFO, which means "First In First Out". This ensures that the product for each council's cookie sale is the freshest available during the season.

  Where can I buy Girl Scout Cookies?

Click here to go to the Girl Scouts of the USA web site that has information on where to buy Girl Scout Cookies. You can also visit your council's Web site to learn more about how Girl Scout Cookie activities help girls learn and grow, and how you can join Girl Scouting as a girl member or volunteer.

http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/faqs.asp

  What kind of kosher certification do your Girl Scout Cookies carry?

All ABC Girl Scout Cookies carry the Circle UD Kosher certification. Circle U stands for Orthodox Union, one of the larger organizations that provide kosher certification. The "D" included in the symbol signifies that the product contains dairy products or is produced on equipment that may be used to produce items containing dairy products.

  How do you monitor the quality of the ingredients you use?

ABC has written standards for each process and cookie variety in our bakery. We select the finest possible ingredients and partner with vendors who are selected based on a specific list of criteria and specifications. Vendors are required, among other things, to provide a Certificate of Analysis with every shipment of incoming raw materials. In addition, prior to raw materials being unloaded into bulk storage units such as flour silos, a sample of the incoming raw material is tested in our Quality Assurance (QA) laboratories. In production, products are pulled systematically by QA personnel and tested to verify conformance to standards. We are proud to have developed many of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) that have been implemented by the biscuit and cracker manufacturing industry. These include:

• State of the art electronic metal detectors on all lines
• Screening systems in storage units for bulk ingredients, including water
• Requirement for employees to change into freshly laundered uniforms made of polished cotton material resistant to adherence of extraneous materials
• Prohibiting breast pockets on uniform dresses and/or shirts
• Employee blower units used to remove any extraneous materials from clothing prior to entering mixing, baking and packaging areas of bakery
• Hairnets for full head covering
• Beard covers
• On line check-weighers
• Automated processes that minimize direct employee contact with product
• Color coding system for allergen controls

  How do you look out for people like me who have food allergies?

Over a decade ago, ABC partnered with Food Allergen and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) to learn more about life threatening food allergies and the impact of ingredient labeling and allergen warnings. We have also worked with the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program in association with the University of Nebraska to review our sanitation, handling and training procedures. Prior to FDA guidelines requiring labeling for potential allergens, ABC adapted what is known as "product specific" allergen labeling. Product specific labeling enables the allergy-affected consumer to make an informed decision based on information specific to that particular product. While broad "across the line" statements such as "this product may contain traces of peanuts" meets the current FDA requirements, it is limiting to the increasing number of allergy sufferers across the country.

Product specific labeling requires strict compliance to good manufacturing practices to prevent cross contamination such as:

• Segregation of known allergens from the general production environment
• Color-coding of storage units and utensils
• Color-coding of employee uniforms
• Curtained off production areas
• Designated lanes for transportation of known allergens
• Swabbing and testing of allergen shared equipment

In addition, we call out all allergens on our packaging and order cards and provide specific warning if a product is made on a line that also produces product with a common allergen such as peanuts. ABC's proactive approach to allergens is an example of our commitment to producing the best quality Girl Scout Cookies possible for the millions of valued consumers who support Girl Scouting every year.

Excerpt of email from consumer and Girl Scout mom:

"ABC is wonderful and has taken the time to implement safe manufacturing processes to protect children with food allergies. When I called last year, they were happy to answer questions and explain about their manufacturing process and safe dedicated lines. It is very hurtful to food allergic families when companies would rather make the statement "may contain traces of..." rather than illuminate the problem of cross contamination. We would be happy to represent a company like ABC that has taken a leadership role in safe manufacturing."