A toddler had to be rushed to hospital and her family feared she might die when she lost consciousness after drinking a Slush Puppie.
Two-year-old Arla Agnew turned grey and passed out after drinking a small cup of the blue icy drink at a friend’s house in Stranraer last weekend.
She was taken to hospital where her blood sugar was found to be dangerously low and doctors believe an ingredient in the Slush Puppie was to blame.
Arla’s mother Carys said she ‘couldn’t stop crying’ as her daughter was treated by medics at Galloway Community Hospital.
She said: ‘Her whole face was grey. It was like she wasn’t falling asleep – it was like she was passing out and waking up again.
Arla Agnew fell ill after drinking a small cup of Slush Puppie at a friend’s house
‘They were so quick getting all the machines into her. They pricked her heel and took blood from her arms, and she did nothing, didn’t flinch – that’s when I knew something wasn’t right with her.
‘I couldn’t stop crying. My brother and sister couldn’t even look at her because of all the machines attached to her.’
She told the BBC: ‘The doctor said if it had been 20 minutes later it could have been totally different – I took that to mean she could have died.’
Since August 2023, the advice from Food Standards Scotland, which has been made aware of the incident involving Arla, is that children under four should not consume slushy drinks.
The syrup used to make the drinks contains the chemical compound glycerol to prevent the liquid from freezing but it can trigger low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycaemia.
Arla’s grandmother Stacey Agnew added: ‘I’m urging parents, family members and carers of wee ones to check everything they are going to give to kids for the levels of glycerol in them. I have a big family and none of us knew the risks.
‘Who actually thinks to themselves “This Slush Puppie could kill my child or grandchild”?
‘When it’s warm, you don’t think that giving them a treat to cool them down means you might never see them again.
‘We could have lost our precious girl. I don’t want other families going through this.’
Arla drank a Slush Puppie made with a machine bought from discount outlet B&M but fell ill and began complaining of feeling tired within half an hour.
She was first treated at Galloway Community Hospital before being taken by ambulance to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, where she was kept in overnight.
A spokesperson for Food Standards Scotland said: ‘FSS is aware of a recent case of illness associated with consumption of a slush ice drink.
Food Standards Scotland advises that children under four should not consume slushy drinks
‘Slush ice drinks, or ‘slushies’, can contain the ingredient glycerol as a substitute for sugar at a level required to create the ‘slush’ effect.
‘Although glycerol is generally of low toxicity, there are concerns about its effect on young children when large quantities are consumed over a short time.
‘This is due to the potential for side effects such as headaches and sickness, particularly when consumed in excess.
‘At very high levels of exposure, such as when several of these products are consumed by a child in a short space of time, glycerol can cause glycerol intoxication which can cause shock, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and loss of consciousness.
‘FSS recommend that children four years of age and under should not consume these drinks.’
A spokesperson for B&M said: ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
‘We have inspected the current stock and confirmed that the packaging adheres to the Food Standards Agency’s recommended guidance: “Product contains glycerol. Not recommended for children 4 years of age and under”.’
Slush Puppie was contacted for comment.
