Children under seven should not drink slushies containing glycerol, says regulator | Health
Children under the age of seven should not drink mud containing glycerol because of the serious health risks they can cause, the Food Standards (FSA) said.
Glycerol is a substitute for alcohol and natural sugar that helps the slushes to maintain their texture by preventing the liquid from freezing the solid.
Children who fall sick due to the consumption of slushies develop glycerol poisoning syndrome, which causes symptoms such as a decrease in consciousness and low blood sugar. Other symptoms include lactic acidosis, which occurs when the body produces too much lactic acid and hypokalemia, or low potassium.
Previously, the FSA, the food security organization for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, had indicated that children under four should not have ice drinks containing glycerol, and that consumption should not be limited to no more than one slush per day for children aged five to 10 years. The FSA revised its advice before an expected seasonal peak in the sales of melting snow ice drinks in interior children’s play areas, leisure facilities and outdoor events during the summer holidays.
These last tips also apply to melting snow drinks ready to drink with glycerol in sachets and domestic kits containing melting snow concentrates.
There have been nine confirmed cases of glycerol intoxication in young children who have been admitted to the hospital in the United Kingdom in the past three years.
In March, pediatricians warned that children under the age of eight should not drink slushia that contain glycerol, after examining medical notes of 21 children who have become unhappy shortly after drinking one.
Professor Robin May, the FSA chief scientific advisor, said: “While we are heading for the summer holidays, we want parents to be aware of the potential risks associated with melting snow drinks containing glycerol. Although these drinks may seem harmless and the side effects are generally soft, they can, especially when consumed in large quantities for a short period, the pose of serious health for young children.
“This is why we recommend that children under the age of seven do not consume these drinks at all, and children aged seven to 10 should not have more than a 350 ml service.
“We are working closely with the industry to ensure appropriate warnings in place wherever these drinks are sold, but in the meantime, we ask parents and caregivers to take additional care when buying drinks for young children, especially during the hotter months when the consumption of` Slushies ” generally increases. “
