That's the way the cookie crumbles

First there were the damning allegations that led Toyota, the auto industry's perennial slam-dunk quality leader, to order a stop-sale on key vehicles.

Now we have the second sign of the apocalypse: Girl Scout cookies are being pulled from the market.

But only the Lemon Chalet Crème variety.

Kentucky-based Little Brownie Bakers, one of two cookie suppliers to the Girl Scouts, is quick to say its action is not a safety recall. The problem, described in consumer complaints as "an off-taste and smell," is caused by a breakdown of oils in the cookies.

No word on precisely when Little Brownie learned of the foulup. But (perhaps), wary of the flak leveled at Toyota for its questionable responsiveness, the company says in a statement, "We immediately took the precautionary step of testing product samples."

Adds Little Brownie: "The quality of our products is a top priority...We sincerely apologize to any consumers affected and are committed to working with the impacted Girl Scout councils through this issue."

I suspect the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is licking its chops right now.