Parents demand iced slushy ban at children's venues after multiple kids pass out

06 February 2024 , 20:16

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Mum Beth Green and son Albie (Image: Kennedy News and Media)

After a number of young kids have collapsed after drinking iced slushies, parents are demanding that this popular drink should be banned from children's entertainment venues.

This comes as four-year-old Albie fell unconscious after consuming the drink. His mother, 24-year-old Beth Green, shared how he was on the verge of death after having a strawberry-flavoured slushy while bowling with a friend.

Another mother, Victoria Anderson also shared her horrifying experience with slushies. She said her three-year-old son nearly died in January after having the drink. After collapsing in her arms, he was rushed to hospital.

A third mother, who experienced the same with her four-year-old son said: "We were told by the paramedics if we had presumed he was just tired from the fun and put him to bed, we would have been looking at a very different story."

Now a petition has received hundreds of signatures, calling for a ban of these drinks in children's venues. It comes after the Food Standards Agency advised that slushy drinks shouldn't be consumed by children under the age of four. The petition reads: "Following a risk assessment by the Food and Standards Agency, we believe slush drinks containing glycerol should be banned from being sold at children's entertainment facilities such as soft play, trampoline parks, theme parks and other children's venues.

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"Glycerol is an ingredient in slush drinks and the FSA has identified that excessive amounts of glycerol can cause headaches and sickness, and there have been cases where children have been hospitalised because of 'glycerol intoxication'. The FSA has advised that slush drinks containing glycerol should not be sold to children four years of age and under.

Parents Fred and Beth with Albie (Kennedy News and Media)

"They also advised that retailers should not offer free refill promotions to under-10s. I would like these drinks to be banned from sale at children's entertainment venues including soft play, trampoline parks, theme parks and other kids venues."

The updated guidance comes after an FSA risk assessment found that young children may suffer from headaches and sickness caused by exposure to glycerol. These aren't new cases of children falling ill after consuming slushies. In 2021 and 2022, two cases were hospitalised because of glycerol intoxication. When a child drinks too much glycerol in a short space of time, it can lead to shock and loss of consciousness.

FSA Head of Additives, Adam Hardgrave, said: "While the symptoms of glycerol intoxication are usually mild, it is important that parents are aware of the risks – particularly at high levels of consumption.

"It is likely that there is under-reporting of glycerol intoxication, as parents may attribute nausea and headaches to other factors. We are grateful to those manufacturers who have already taken steps to reduce levels of glycerol, and to those who have already told us they will be adopting our new guidelines."

Zesha Saleem