LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Health experts are urging parents to keep children under eight away from slushy ice drinks containing glycerol, following a series of hospitalisations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Slushy drinks, often marketed towards children, use glycerol as a sweetener and anti-freezing agent. However, researchers warn that excessive intake can lead to glycerol intoxication, causing symptoms such as low blood sugar, shock, and loss of consciousness.
A recent peer-reviewed study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood examined an apparent surge in cases, revealing that 21 children—aged two to seven—required emergency treatment after consuming slushies between 2018 and 2024. Many of them became acutely ill within an hour, with symptoms including unconsciousness, high blood acidity, and seizures.
Although all affected children recovered swiftly, the researchers recommended raising the advisory age limit from four to eight years old. They also suggested that unreported, milder cases could be going unnoticed.
The growing preference for glycerol over sugar, possibly influenced by sugar taxes and health concerns, may have contributed to the increase in incidents. While slushy machines have existed since the 1950s, not all drinks contain glycerol, as sugar can also prevent freezing.
Public health officials are now being urged to issue clearer warnings. Parents like Elsa Qorri, 46, support the recommendation after witnessing her five- and seven-year-old daughters struggle with brain freeze after drinking slushies.
“I’m not going to buy them again until the girls are a little bit older,” she told AFP.
Medical professionals are advising parents to stay vigilant and consider alternative frozen treats for younger children.
