Sugar: Children shouldn't be allowed to buy slushies, claims Food Standards Agency

Children should be banned from buying slushies due to health concerns, according to a government body.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued new guidance about slush-ice drinks (slushies) claiming that children under four should not be allowed to buy them - and under 10s shouldn't be allowed a refil.

It comes amid concerns about glycerol, a sweet liquid that creates the slushie, often being used instead of sugar. An FSA assessment found that children below the age of 10 may suffer from headaches and sickness caused by exposure to glycerol.

The FSA is also aware of two cases in Scotland in, one in 2021 and one in 2022, where children were hospitalised because of glycerol intoxication.

Head of additives Adam Hargrave 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."

The FSA’s new guidance asks businesses to only add glycerol at the minimum quantity technically necessary to achieve this effect. While glycerol is found in some other foods, it is added at much lower quantities than in slush ice drinks.

If, in the future, the maximum levels of glycerol used by industry decrease, the new industry guidelines may be reassessed.

The FSA says it will be monitoring how widely the guidelines are adopted and could take further action in future.