Girl Scouts Debut Gluten-Free Cookies

NEW YORKThe Girl Scouts is taking on the gluten-free sector, adding gluten-free cookies during its 2013-2014 cookie sale in select markets.

ABC Bakers, a licensed Girl Scout cookie maker, is testing Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies in 20 markets as part of the Girl Scouts 2013-2014 cookie sale.

Made with a blend of rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch and potato starch, the bite-size cookies contain no artificial flavors or colors, high fructose corn syrup, palm oil or hydrogenated oils. The cookies meet the 5 parts per million (p.p.m.) limit established by the Celiac Sprue Association, which is 75% lower than the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations 20 p.p.m. proposed restriction.

Millions of Americans have problems eating food with gluten, so ABC Bakers has created a delicious cookie just for them," the organization said on its website.

Test markets include Californias central coast, central Maryland, eastern Wisconsin, southern Nevada, western New York, eastern Iowa and western Illinois, eastern Massachusetts, eastern Pennsylvania and Maine, among others.

The Girl Scouts also addressed the use of bioengineered ingredients in its cookies.

At the current time, there are genetically modified agricultural crops (GMOs) in Girl Scout Cookies," the organization said on its website. Our bakers determine whether to use GMOs in Girl Scout Cookies based on a range of market-related factors and depending on the specific cookie recipe. Girl Scouts recognizes that many people have concerns regarding GMO ingredients, and we monitor member and consumer opinion on this matter."