ABC GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

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1 ABC GIRL SCOUT COOKIES Do you have sugar free Girl Scout cookies? No. Our primary goal is to provide great-tasting cookies that girls can be successful selling. While we have investigated the market for a sugar free item, we have determined that demand in this niche is still too small for the Girl Scout Cookie Program. We do include carbohydrate counts to assist people with balancing their diets. Sugars are carbs and part of the total carbs you will find on the nutrition label. It's important for anyone who counts carbohydrates or is sensitive to sugar (Diabetics) to check total carb counts. Total carbs on the label will include added sugar, fibers, starch and any natural sugar. Does ABC Bakers offer any vegan cookies? Yes. ABC has four vegan cookies in our product line: Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lot, Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties. Do the Gluten Free Trios Girl Scout Cookies meet the FDA s 20 parts per million limit? Yes. Our Trios are certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization ( Products carrying the GF logo represents unmatched reliability for meeting strict gluten-free standards. GFCO is a voluntary 3 rd party gluten-free certification organization whose standard is 10 ppm gluten or less. GFCO requires compliance with the FDA definition of gluten-free that products not contain wheat, rye, barley and hybrids of these grains. It also requires compliance with strict manufacturing, testing and inspection procedures.

2 For more information about how the FDA defines gluten free for food labeling, please refer tohttp:// This regulation provides a uniform standard definition to help Americans who have celiac disease. What does the GFCO certification on the Gluten Free cookie package mean? The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) is a program of The Gluten Intolerance Group. The logo stands for independent verification of quality, integrity, and purity of products. According to the GFCO website ( GFCO certification provides a certification seal that is easily identified and provides consumers assurance that the product meets strict standards for gluten free. GFCO s standard is 10 parts per million or less gluten in finished products. Are your Gluten Free Trios Girl Scout Cookies produced in a gluten free bakery? Yes. Trios are produced in a dedicated gluten free facility and meet a 10 parts per million standard set by the Gluten Free Certification Organization. This exceeds the FDA s 20 parts per million proposed limit by 50%. GFCO requires compliance with the FDA definition of gluten-free that products not contain wheat, rye, barley and hybrids of these grains. It also, requires compliance with strict manufacturing, testing and inspection procedures Why are the Gluten Free Trios packaged differently than the rest of the product line? Trios do not lend themselves well to tray packaging due to the small size of the cookies. We are excited that Trios gives us our first opportunity to package cookies in a resalable pouch, which are ontrend with the market. We will continue to evaluate packaging options. Do you use GMOs in your Girl Scout Cookies? Yes. We embrace quality manufacturing processes and ingredients. ABC Bakers uses conventional ingredients in the production of all our products, including Girl Scout Cookies and other nationally and regionally branded cookies and crackers. However, since we do not control all phases of ingredients productions (farming, processing and delivery) it is not possible for us to guarantee that any products produced are free of Genetically Modified materials. Why do you use palm oil in your Girl Scout Cookies? ABC Bakers is aware of and sensitive to concerns about the sustainability of palm oil production. In our effort to eliminate trans fats from our cookies, we have evaluated a number of alternatives to partially hydrogenated soybean oil. To maintain product quality, we determined that palm oil was our best alternative. ABC Bakers is an official member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). We source our palm oil exclusively from members of the RSPO and we support the efforts of the RSPO to encourage sustainable farming practices. Only about 15% of palm oil is currently certifiable as sustainable. Starting in 2012, we began incorporating sustainable palm oil into our production process at a level commensurate with market availability. Furthermore, there is not a currently reliable supply chain for palm oil that is 100% sustainable, only for blends of sustainable and conventional palm oil. ABC Bakers will continue to work with our vendors and the RSPO to encourage the development of an economically and logistically feasible supply chain for 100% sustainable palm oil, and we will transition our oil once the supply is reliably available. ABC Bakers continually evaluates other alternative oils. Should a better alternative emerge, we will transition from palm oil. What is your position on sustainable cocoa farming?

3 ABC Bakers sources our cocoa from companies who are founding members of the World Cocoa Foundation. These companies provide support to cocoa farmers and their families worldwide through programs that help raise farmer incomes, encourage sustainable cocoa farming and strengthen communities. Your Girl Scout Cookies have zero grams trans fat per serving, but some still show partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient. Why? Like all consumer food manufacturers, ABC Bakers is required by law to comply with FDA requirements for labeling ingredients and nutritional information. We were proactive in reformulating 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, trans fat should be expressed 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 trans fat. The trace amounts of trans fat in our enrobed cookies are the result of using oils to keep the coating from melting off the cookies. We are actively researching replacements that will provide the same benefits. How do you monitor the quality of the ingredients you use? ABC Bakers 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 Does ABC Bakers use artificial colors? No. ABC Bakers does not use artificial colors in our cookies. Does ABC Bakers add any preservatives to the cookies? No. We do not add any preservatives to our cookies. Do all Girl Scout cookies contain milk?

4 No. ABC Baker's Peanut Butter Patties, Thin Mints, Thanks-A-Lot and Lemonades Girl Scout Cookies do not contain milk, although Peanut Butter Patties and Cranberry Citrus Crisps are produced on equipment where products containing milk are also made. 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 provides kosher certification. The D included in the symbol signifies that the product contains dairy ingredients or is produced on equipment that may be used to produce items containing dairy ingredients. How do you look out for people like me who have food allergies? Over a decade ago, ABC partnered with Food Allergy & 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 and Resource Program in association with the University of Nebraska to review our sanitation, handling, and training procedures. ABC adopted what is known as product-specific allergen labeling. Product-specific labeling enables the allergyaffected consumer to make an informed decision based on information specific to that particular product. 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 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, order cards and web site 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 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. How many packages are in a case? Each case of cookies contains 12 packages. Why are three (Cranberry Citrus Crisps, Lemonades and Thanks-A-Lot ) of the eight cookie varieties offered by ABC Bakers in a tray with film overwrap no carton? ABC Bakers is delighted to be able to offer this type of cookie packaging which saves millions of cartons by ensuring a more sustainable approach to packaging on the three unique cookie items that

5 we offer. ABC Bakers is the only licensed Girl Scout Cookie baker offering cookies packaged in a tray with film overwrap. Will all eight of ABC Bakers Girl Scout Cookies be offered in a tray with film overwrap (no carton) in the future? At this time ABC bakers is not planning to convert all of our items to tray with film overwrap. However, we will continue to look for ways to improve the product and packaging that we offer while supporting the Girl Scout brand. Is the packaging for ABC s cookie recyclable? Yes. Our folding cartons, cookie trays, and shipping cases are recyclable. However, local recycling services vary on what materials they will accept. Please check with your local service. COOKIE AVAILABILITY Where can I buy Girl Scout Cookies? Visit girlscoutcookies.org for information on where to buy Girl Scout Cookies. And be sure to visit your local council website to find booth sales in your area and learn more about how the Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls learn and grow, and how you can join Girl Scouts as a girl member or volunteer. Do you offer a gluten free Girl Scout cookie? Yes. For the cookie season, ABC will again be piloting a gluten free Girl Scout Cookie. The delicious new Gluten Free Trios Girl Scout Cookies are made with real peanut butter, delicious chocolate chips, and certified whole grain, gluten free oats. By introducing this new cookie, we re inviting consumers who avoid gluten to enjoy Girl Scout Cookies. Trios are produced in a dedicated gluten free facility and contain no artificial colors or flavors, no palm oil, no hydrogenated oil, and no high fructose corn syrup. During the first year of the pilot, half of our councils participated and the feedback was fantastic. There are 37 councils across the country that will be selling these cookies this season. Click Here to see which councils are participating. Why did ABC Bakers replace the Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies with Gluten Free Trios? We are always looking for ways to improve our product offering and generate excitement and enthusiasm around the Girl Scout Cookie Program. The Trios cookies are made with real peanut butter, delicious chocolate chips and certified whole grain oats a very popular combination! Peanut butter is one of America s favorite cookie flavors. Why do the Gluten Free Trios in my area cost more than the other Girl Scout Cookies? As in the retail market, gluten free cookies are priced higher than other cookies because they cost more to produce. Bakers must maintain a gluten free facility, and ingredients typically cost more. In addition, each council sets their own pricing for Girl Scout Cookies so you may find that pricing will vary from council to council. Where can I buy the Gluten Free Trios Girl Scout Cookies? There are 37 ABC councils participating in our Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookie Pilot. Please visit our website for a complete listing and links to each of the councils.

6 Can I put an order in COCOmobile and have the cookies shipped directly to the consumer? Yes. Councils who work with ABC Bakers can allow their girls to take orders through COCOdirect that will be shipped directly to consumers. COCOdirect is available through our COCOmobile app and our web site in the ecard section of COCO online marketing. USE OR FREEZE BEFORE DATES Do Girl Scout Cookies have expiration dates? All of our Girl Scout Cookies have a Use or Freeze Before date on each package that indicates the time frame that our cookies will taste best. Why do Gluten Free Trios have a different Use or Freeze Before date than the rest of the Girl Scout Cookies? ABC conducts shelf-life studies to determine optimal product shelf life for all of our cookies. The shelf life on this new pilot cookie is slightly shorter than the rest of the product line. ONLINE RESOURCES What is smartcookieu? Train smart with smartcookieu an online learning center for busy Girl Scout volunteers. With this site councils and volunteers will have access to a vast array of materials and information as well as the ability for councils to upload their own council-specific information and quiz volunteers. What is COCO Cookie Command? COCO Cookie Command, also known as COCO, is an online resource on our website that allows girls and troops to set goals, track goals, and manage their overall cookie sale. What is COCOmobile? COCOmobile is an app that allows girls to set cookie goals, track sales progress, and take cookie orders via iphone, ipad, ipodtouch or Android device. Through secure login, girls can create and manage their sales on the go. Girls can register for COCOmobile directly on their device or they can create a COCO account onwww.abcsmartcookies.com for use with the app. What is COCOdirect? COCOdirect is an online ordering system that allows girls to take cookie orders from customers and have them shipped directly to the address specificed by the customer. It can be accessed via the COCOmobile app or through the Online Marketing section in COCO Cookie Command. Please refer to the COCOdirect FAQ section for more details on how it works. What is Snap? Snap is ABC Baker s exclusive online order management system that provides users with an intuitive ordering system and full reporting. What is Snap Cupboard? Snap Cupboard is a mobile app that enables Cupboard Managers to manage their cupboard inventory and approve planned orders right from their iphone, ipad, ipodtouch or Android device.

7 Who can use the online marketing tool in COCO? The online marketing tool is designed for girls who are participating in the cookie sale with one of ABC Baker s partner councils. It is designed for use with friends and family members to take cookie orders during the sale. When using COCO on your website, can girls see other girls' pages? No. Each, girl sees her own page, and if the troop has a page set up by the leader or cookie chair she can see the troop page. She cannot see another girl s goal page Can girls import their contacts into the online marketing tool? Yes, girls can import their contacts directly into ABC s online marketing tool. Just follow the steps in the online marketing section of For questions or assistance, you can contact our Technology Help Desk at or us at abctech@interbake.com. How can girls track their orders? Girls can track the status of orders using the View Orders tab. She can select "All," "Mobile," "Confirmed," or "Cancelled" orders from this tab. Can girls track their e-cards and orders? On the View E-Cards sent tab of online marketing, girls can see the status of the e-cards she has sent this season. By using the status filter, she can choose to see "All," "No Response," "Viewed," or "Ordered." She can also see the number of invitations she has sent, the number of completed orders and her response percentage. Can the recipient of an online forward the to other people? No. As a security and safety measure, the only people who can place orders are the ones who receive the ecard directly from the girl. This ensures that girls are only selling and delivering cookies to people they know. What is the process when girls are ready to submit orders? When the girl is ready to submit her order to the troop leader or troop cookie mom/dad, she just needs to print a report from the View Orders tab by clicking on the Run Order Card Report link. This will produce a report that shows her the total number of packages she has sold. If a girl updates her other packages and she is not accurate, does that impact what recognitions she earns for her sale? No. These Other packages aren t automatically imported into Snap, which is the system that is used to determine what recognitions a girl earns. The Other packages field allows the girl to capture all of her orders that are taken by other means (order card, in person, etc.) to help her track her sales. Do the cookies automatically get shipped to the friends and families that place orders using the COCO Online Marketing tool? If the ecard is the COCOdirect card with a link to the COCOdirect website, then the cookies will automatically get shipped to friends and family. For all other ecards, cookie orders that are placed via online marketing or our new COCOmobile app are still delivered by the girl. Cookies are not automatically sent to you and payment will still be made when the girl delivers your order. Can a link to online marketing be posted on Facebook?

8 No. Our Online Marketing tool cannot be used with Facebook. The tool is designed for girls of all ages, while social media sites like Facebook are designed for girls 13 and older. Can I donate cookies ordered via online marketing (e-cards)? Yes, for all ecards except the COCOdirect option. With the Online Marketing order form, you can choose "Cookie Share" if you would like to donate the cookies. Your local council will deliver them to a charitable organization. Can consumers pay for the cookies online? With the introduction of COCOdirect, girls can send ecards to friends and family members with a link to COCOdirect. The consumer can then order and pay for cookies online and have them shipped direct. Additionally, girls can access COCOdirect through the COCOmobile app and can accept credit card payments for the COCOdirect orders and have those cookies shipped direct to consumers. I m having trouble getting into Snap, Snap Cupboard, COCO online or COCOmobile. Contact ABC Bakers' technology help line at or us at abctech@interbake.com. How do I access smartcookieu (SCU)? For Council Admin: Credentials should have been provided to you by the ABC team. If you do not have your credentials, or have forgotten your username or password, you can contact our ABC helpdesk by calling or by ing abctech@interbake.com. For Volunteers: Volunteers must have a registered account on COCO. Once registered and logged in to COCO, there are multiple links to smartcookieu (SCU) from abcsmartcookies.com. What will I find once I get to smartcookieu? You will know that you are logged into SCU, if you see Hello [your username]! in the top right corner. You will find everything you need for a successful cookie sale organized into 6 different categories: Program, Marketing, Technology, Cookies, Library, and Support. COCOmobile Do I have to be set up in COCO before I use COCOmobile? Yes. You have to register via COCO online to obtain a user name and password before you can use COCOmobile Do I re-enter all contact information each time for repeat customers? No. When you click the icon to enter contact information, you can then click the Search icon to find the contact s stored information (name/ ) from previous orders. Select the name from the stored contact list and proceed with submitting the order. Our troop doesn t use Cookie Share as the name of our donation program. Can the Cookie Share name be changed on COCOmobile? No. The Cookie Share name can t be changed. It s the same for all girls using the app. If my troop uses the credit card swiper, do I need to close COCOmobile and open my app for the card reader to process payment? Yes. You will need to switch to the card reader app to process the payment.

9 Do orders from COCOmobile automatically go into Snap? No. For security reasons, each girl needs to be sure her orders are valid and submit to her Troop Cookie Leader/Volunteer to enter in Snap. She can either print out the orders or the report directly to the volunteer in her troop responsible for collecting orders. How will COCOmobile ecard orders be tracked? Orders taken via the COCOmobile ecard option will show up in girls ecard total. Can the same username & password be used on two devices at same time? Yes. Can two girls use the same device? For instance, if a parent/guardian has an iphone and downloads the app can both girls in the family use it? Yes. However, each girl must log in separately to use the app and then log out before the other girl uses it. COCOdirect How will girls access COCOdirect? Girls can access COCOdirect by downloading ABC s COCOmobile app on their iphone, ipad, ipodtouch or Android device while connected to the internet. They can also send an ecard with a COCOdirect link to friends and family members through COCO Online Marketing, accessible through abcsmartcookies.com. Will girls who already have COCOmobile downloaded have to delete the app and download again? It is not necessary for girls to delete the app and reload. Girls should make sure they are downloading any updates that are available via the app store. Will girls who use COCOmobile and who sell cookies online through COCOdirect still be able to send ecards through COCOmobile for girl delivery? COCOmobile is one way for girls to access COCOdirect. Girls also have the ability to send a COCOdirect ecard from COCO online. The COCOdirect ecard includes a link to the COCOdirect website where friends and family can place an order, pay for the order and have it shipped direct. All functionality previously available through COCOmobile will continue to be available in In the web version of COCO, does COCOdirect work on all ecards? COCOdirect is available through one ecard on the web version of COCO. That ecard will be clearly marked on our website as COCOdirect only. When will COCOdirect be available for girls to start taking orders? Each council will set their own start and end dates for participation in COCOdirect to coincide with their regularly planned sales dates. Will all cookie varieties be available via COCOdirect? Yes. All of the GREAT 8 cookie varieties offered by ABC Bakers will be available for purchase via COCOdirect in quantities of half dozen or dozens per variety. There will also be a sampler pack available to purchase that includes one package of each of the 8 varieties. Councils that choose to participate in the gluten free pilot will also be able to offer our new Trios cookie via COCOdirect at

10 their Council s chosen price point. ABC Bakers will stock the COCOdirect warehouse with Trios inventory that will be shipped on a first come, first serve basis. When the Trios inventory is depleted in the warehouse, an out of stock banner will be visible to the consumer who attempts to order that variety Note: Trios will not be included in the 8 package sampler pack. Has ABC Bakers done load testing for COCOdirect? Yes. We did a load simulation on the servers this spring and can handle over 120 times the load we had at the peak of season last year. We will monitor the system closely in the upcoming season. If necessary, we can add additional network resources during the season. Why doesn t COCOdirect work when a girl is not connected to the internet? COCOdirect requires an internet connection to place orders via a web site portal. How will sales via COCOdirect be credited to Troops and girls? Councils will be able to import COCOdirect sales directly into Snap to credit both the Troop and the girl for packages sold. This functionality will be available to Council level users only and can be used throughout the sale. In order for Troop data to be accurately uploaded, the girl must register in COCO selecting the correct Council and Troop, and her name must be entered exactly as it is in Snap. Existing COCO accounts can be easily edited by the girl if corrections are needed to create the match of data. Note: Sales of the new Gluten Free Trios will not be included in the upload from COCOdirect. Those sales will be reported offline via abccocodirect.com. How will COCOmobile and COCOdirect orders be tracked? Orders taken via COCOmobile/COCOdirect menu option will show up in girls mobile orders total. How will payments for packages ordered through COCOdirect be credited to Troops? Councils will have an option in Snap that will allow them to create a Troop deposit for the value of the cookies sold via COCOdirect. The value will not include any shipping & handling fees. This functionality in Snap will be available for Council level users only. Troops will be able to view their financial transactions via the Finance icon in Snap and on the Troop balance summary report. If a girl has a credit card reader, can she swipe the credit card information on the mobile device or does she need to enter it manually? Credit card readers cannot be used with COCOdirect. Credit card info must be typed in. What credit cards does COCOdirect accept for payment? COCOdirect accepts all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express Who pays the bank s credit card fees? ABC Bakers charges a flat fee for shipping and handling and manages the credit card fees internally.

11 When a customer enters their address, should it be entered twice for accuracy? We are modeling our process after the way that many other online businesses set up their websites. There is no need to ask the customer to enter his/her twice. When is the credit card confirmed? When the girl enters the order in the app, the consumer s credit card is verified. The order will only be accepted if the credit card is valid. Is the payment system for COCOdirect on a secure server? Yes. Upon the successful processing of consumer payment information, consumer credit card numbers are encrypted. Once the order has been received by the fulfillment system, all payment information is re-encrypted. The server hosting COCOdirect does not house the private key for the key-pair. If this information must be decrypted, it must be done using a decryption program independent of the COCOdirect server. How are shipping charges calculated? Shipping charges are automatically calculated when the order is placed by the consumer and added to the total charge for the order. How much are standard shipping & handling fees? A ½ dozen is $10.95 per item; a dozen is $15.30 per item; and the 8 Pack Sampler is $12.20 per item. Are the shipping fees just for the 48 contiguous states or can you ship to Alaska and Hawaii? Standard shipping fees are just for the contiguous 48 states. AK & HI can ship for an additional $15.00 per item Does the standard shipping cost cover military APO addresses? An additional $5.00 per item ordered applies to shipments made to APO/FPO boxes. How much is the expedite fee? And is it per order? Expediting, which means overnight delivery, is an additional $21.95 per item ordered. Who pays for shipping and handling fees for COCOdirect sales? The consumer. How soon are orders shipped? Orders are picked and shipped daily. All orders received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on business days typically ship the same day. Orders received after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or on a non-business day (holidays & weekend) typically ship the following business day. Are deliveries made on business days, weekend and/or holidays? All deliveries are made on business days only. Can consumers have COCOdirect purchases shipped to an address other than their billing address? Yes. COCOdirect offers the option of shipping to a different address and the consumer can also indicate if the shipment is a gift and can include a gift message.

12 Is there a packing slip that goes with the cookies? No. A packing slip will not go out with each order, but order, shipping and delivery acknowledgements are ed. Will there be YouTube training videos available on the COCOdirect process? If so, who will be the audience? Yes. ABC will have YouTube videos available to explain the COCOdirect process for girls/parents, volunteers and Council level users. Who do consumers contact if there is a problem with a COCOdirect order (damage, lost shipment, etc.)? Consumers will receive an confirmation when the order is placed, shipped and delivered that will have the appropriate contact information. Call ABC Customer Service at or abccocodirect@interbake.com. Who should girls, volunteers and councils contact with technical issues? Our 24/7 Technology Help Desk at or abctech@interbake.com.