Girl Scouts testing second gluten-free cookie

Gluten-free Girl Scout cookies are coming to New Jersey!

They’re different than the bite-size chocolate chip cookies featured in last year’s pilot program, which none of the four Garden State councils participated in. This year, the Girls Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey council is serving as a test market for Trios: A gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookie.

Image/Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey

Sold through individual troops that opt to participate, the Trios come in a 5-ounce re-sealable pouch that retails for $5, according to the council’s website. (We all know gluten-free foods cost more. Sigh) They'll become available during the 2015 cookie sale.

The pilot cookies are manufactured by ABC Bakers in a dedicated facility that is certified as gluten-free by NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) International. According to ABC, they also are certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group and meet the Food and Drug Administration’s 20 parts per million limit. In addition, they feature no artificial colors, palm or hydrogenated oils, or high fructose corn syrup.

Image/ABC Bakers

 The company sources cocoa from sustainable farmers. It does not claim to be free of GMOs, since ingredients come from sources in which ABC does not control production, the company says on its website.

So, what happened to the chocolate chip cookies featured in last year’s gluten-free pilot program? And will any gluten-free cookie be regularly available? The answers are unknown at this point.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our product offering and generate excitement and enthusiasm around the Girl Scout Cookie Program,” the company says on its website. “ABC will conduct follow-up research to determine the effectiveness of the initiative and whether or not the gluten free Trios will become a permanent fixture in the Girl Scout Cookie universe.”

If a list of participating troops becomes available, we’ll post it on this blog. Follow Gluten Free Garden State on Twitter @gfgardenstate and Facebook/Glutenfreegardenstate for notifications about known Cookie Booths carrying the Trios. Tag this blog on social media for sharing posts and retweets.