Parents advised not to give slushies to children aged under four

Parents have been urged by a food watchdog not to give slushie drinks to children aged under four as they can cause headaches, nausea and blackouts.

The Food Safety Authority Ireland (FSAI) said such products contain glycerol, which gives drinks the “slushie effect”, and this can, on rare occasions, lead to severe symptoms such as shock, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and loss of consciousness.

Children aged between five and 10 should not have more than one slushie per day, the FSAI recommends.

Slushie drinks are sold via machines in a variety of outlets and are also sold pre-packaged in supermarkets and other retail stores.

FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said the authority’s advice aims to limit exposure by young children to glycerol and to raise awareness that high levels of consumption can potentially cause side effects.

“The Department of Health’s Healthy Eating Guidelines have placed slush ice drinks on the top shelf of the healthy eating food pyramid, meaning that they are not part of a healthy balanced diet and should only be consumed in moderation as a treat,” she said.

The FSAI has raised this issue with the European Commission and other member states in the hope that they will follow suit. Any changes to current food additives legislation would have to carried out at European level.