Following a
recent Board
decision, we've just
launched a new campaign to warn parents and caregivers about the
potential health risks that slush ice drinks, or 'slushies', can
pose to young children when they contain
glycerol.
Glycerol is a food additive used in
some no and low sugar slushies to create their distinctive frozen
texture. These drinks are widely consumed without harmful
effects, but our
recent assessment has shown
they can in rare cases, especially when consumed in large
quantities over a short time period, pose serious health risks to
young children – symptoms include shock, dangerously low blood
sugar levels, and loss of
consciousness.
To coincide with the start of the
summer holidays, when slushie sales increase, we've
launched new guidance and a
public awareness campaign about these risks. Our
advice is
straightforward: children under seven should not consume slush ice drinks
(slushies) containing glycerol at
all. For children aged
seven to ten, consumption should be limited to one 350ml serving
per day – roughly the size of a standard fizzy drink
can.
Parents and guardians should check
with the food business on whether the drink contains glycerol –
but don't buy if in doubt. We're also calling on retailers to
play their part by
displaying our advice clearly at the point of sale
and not offering free refills to
children aged ten and under. We are calling on
manufacturers to include these warnings on ready to drink slushie
pouches and on the syrups and labelling on home slush ice drink
kits.
Please support this initiative within
your networks and amplify our communications through your
channels, to help to get
the message out to parents. We want to ensure that families can
continue to enjoy these popular treats safely, while protecting
the health and wellbeing of our youngest consumers.
