A child in a coma after a granite: an alert on an unexpected ingredient
We rarely imagine that a simple colored granite can lead to hospitalization in intensive care. However, this is what happened in the United Kingdom, where a two-year-old girl found herself in a coma after consuming this popular ice drink. In question: glycerin, an additive with harmless but potentially dangerous at high doses, especially among the youngest.
Specialists indicate that a 350 ml drink, equivalent to a Coca-Cola can, may be enough to cause concerns in children under the age of four. For children aged five to ten years, consume this quantity can cause harmful effects if ingested quickly.
The facts sparked a wave of concern on the other side of the English Channel. Many similar cases have been documented there, resulting in serious symptoms: hypoglycemia, loss of consciousness, even state of shock. British and Scottish health authorities have since sounded the alarm.
Glycerol: a discreet ingredient with very real effects on children
Glycerin, or glycerol (E422), is commonly used in the granita to maintain their semi-gray texture so characteristic. Without it, the drink would quickly turn into a simple block of ice. But if this additive is considered to be safe for adults in moderate quantities, the situation is quite different for children.
When consumed, this substance has the capacity to absorb a large amount of water and sugar present in the blood, before being metabolized by the liver and kidneys. According to specialists, it is this rapid decrease in internal humidity and blood sugar that can cause a severe and potentially fatal reaction in young children.
When several portions are consumed in a short time, especially by children under the age of 6, the risks accumulate quickly. A study conducted in the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2009 and 2024 identified at least 21 cases of young children hospitalized after drinking granities containing glycerol. In several of these situations, the victims suffered from nausea, severe headaches, metabolic acidosis and even in the most serious cases, deep hypoglycemia, which can lead to a loss of consciousness.
In the United Kingdom, official recommendations tightened in the face of this invisible danger
Faced with these recurring reports, the health authorities have decided to react. Their recommendations are clear: avoid the consumption of granita in children under the age of 4, and strictly limit quantities for those elderly up to 8 years. This caution is explained by increased vulnerability of young children with the effects of glycerol, whose toxicity depends on the amount absorbed and the weight of the child.
Even if the risk of poisoning is deemed low in the event of a single consumption, it increases significantly when several granities are bus in a short time, as often happens during festive events or in summer. Two serious cases of poisoning in glycerin which required hospitalization were identified in 2021 and 2022, confirming that this danger is not purely theoretical.
Susan Jebb, President of the British British Standards Agency (FSA) (FSA): “In hot weather, children are more likely to consume frozen drinks containing glycerol. It is therefore important that parents and people who deal with them are aware of the risks. As a precaution, the FSA recommends children under the age of seven not to consume iced drinks containing glycerol “. In the process, food security agencies asked manufacturers to reformulate their products. Some brands have already undertaken to reduce the level of glycerin in their revenue, and the authorities say they are “grateful” towards those who have taken measures or are preparing to do so.
The granite, summer pleasure par excellence, is therefore not to be banished, but to supervise. Behind its tangy colors and its apparent safety hides a risk not to be overlooked, especially in the youngest.