Mum’s warning over ‘toxic’ slushy drinks after tot ‘started fitting’ | UK News

A mum has called for a ban on selling slushies to children after her toddler ‘collapsed and began fitting’ just moments after drinking the ‘toxic’ treat.

Victoria Anderson’s three-year-old son Angus was rushed to hospital after what doctors said was a ‘toxic’ effect of the chemical that stops slushies from freezing.

The 29-year-old mum was shopping on January 4th with two of her children when her youngest son, Angus, asked for a raspberry-flavored drink from the shop.

Only thirty minutes later, Angus fell unconscious in a store – leaving Victoria fearing for her son’s life.

The mum-of-five, who lives in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, said little Angus’ body went ‘limp and stone cold’ as paramedics began working on the toddler.

After rushing to hospital, staff told Victoria that the slushy had caused glycerol toxicity – which left Angus in a ‘drunk-like’ state.

The Food Standard Agency (FSA) issued new voluntary industry guidance on glycerol in slush-ice drinks in August 2023, advising that they should not be sold to children four years of age and under.

At very high levels of exposure, glycerol intoxication can cause shock, hypoglycaemia, and loss of consciousness, according to the government body.

Victoria said: ‘Angus had never had a slushy before. This was his first time. His brothers had had them in summer as a treat before.

‘After drinking the slushy, we went into another shop and Angus kept saying he wanted to go home. He moaned again and I said “we’re going home now, just another couple of minutes.”

‘We walked around the shop a bit more and as I turned around I could hear him moaning again.

‘I thought he’d thrown himself on the floor having a temper tantrum, but when I looked his eyes were at the back of his head and he was having a seizure. He went limp as anything.’

Paramedics found that Angus’ blood sugar levels were ‘dangerously’ low, and he was taken to Glasgow Children’s Hospital, where he was unconscious for two hours while doctors undertook tests to determine the cause of his episode.

Victoria added: ‘It was the scariest thing I’d ever experienced. He was well that day – there was nothing obviously wrong with him. There’s nothing like this in the family.

‘I was scared he would die, considering the way he went down and how limp he was and how unresponsive he was.

‘They gave him a jab in the leg and he wasn’t even flinching. When he woke up, he was still going in and out of consciousness. I think he was exhausted too.’

Mum Victoria said glycerol toxicity was something she hadn’t heard of – but said there was ‘definitely’ a link to it and the slushy Angus drank.

She’s now calling for a ban on slushies being served to children after Angus’ episode.

She added: ‘I think slushies should be banned altogether or at the very least there needs to be a warning sign for under-4s. But this could potentially happen to any kid of any age.

‘I’ll never buy slushies again. You just don’t know what’s in these drinks. I just want to make as many mums aware as possible what can happen buying these drinks.’

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