Parents have been warned about giving their children a popular summer drink.

The warmer weather and sunny spells often make us crave an ice-cold refreshment, with drinks such as 'slushies' seeming like a good choice.

Their bright colours and interesting flavours may seem like an attractive choice for young ones, but Food Standards have urged parents that they should never give them to children under the age of four.

The frozen beverage contains the food additive glycerol (E 422), which if consumed by very young children, can cause problems like headaches and sickness.

If a child consumes slushies in excess, this can result in shock, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and loss of consciousness. 

Children under four should never drink this product, and children under 10 should not be offered free refill promotions to prevent them from consuming too much of it.

The warning has been reiterated by East Renfrewshire Council, which said: "Slush-ice drinks containing glycerol shouldn't be given to children under four. Children below this age can suffer from headaches and sickness.

"If several products are drunk by a child in a short space of time, it can cause shock, hypoglycaemia and loss of consciousness."

 

It comes after a four-year-old girl from Stranraer had to be hospitalised after drinking a slushie.

Arla Agnew "turned grey" when her blood sugars plummeted after only half a cup of the icy drink at a friend’s house on Saturday, the BBC reported. 

Tests revealed that Arla’s blood sugar had dropped to an abnormally low level, resulting in hypoglycaemia. 

Her mother Carys said: “A doctor came through and said ‘I know what it might be’ – he said ‘I think it’s the Slush Puppie’.

"He’d spoken to the poison unit and found that glycerol wasn’t for under fours.”

A full guide from the Food Standards Agency is available here.