Grandmother Poisons Her Family By Serving Them Hot Chocolate That Expired 25 Years Ago

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It's all too easy to forget about cans and sachets of food that languish at the back of our kitchen cupboards.

But one grandmother from Italy got a nasty surprise when she served up some old hot chocolate to her family.

The 77-year-old woman, known only as as Mrs Rosetta, poisoned herself, her partner, her son, her two grandchildren and their friend when she gave them hot chocolate which expired 25 years ago, Il Mattino reports.

The group were taken to hospital after they began experiencing severe stomach pain and vomiting.

It didn't take long for the cases of food poisoning to be traced back to the hot chocolate sachets.

Upon inspection, the sachets were found to have expired in June 1990.

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Rosetta is reported to have said she bought the sachets "a few years earlier" in the 1980s.

She forgot about them for years, but stirred them into hot milk for her family when her grandchildren requested a drink of hot chocolate.

According to The Independent, one of the woman's grandchildren was hospitalised for almost three weeks due to the severe reaction.

If you're a food hoarder, hot chocolate isn't the only thing that could be cause for concern in your pantry.

Did you know spices, brown rice and cooking oil also expire earlier than many people think?

Check out the slideshow below to find out what foods you need to throw out to avoid food poisoning.

(Plus anything that's 25 years old, obviously).

Foods That Expire Faster Than You Think They Do

Flour(01 of07)

6-8 months for all-purpose, opened or unopened
4-6 months for whole wheat, opened or unopened

Think that flour in your pantry is good after a year? Think again. Flour's lifespan is closer to half a year. It can go rancid or get infested by insects, and you don't want any of that in your baked goods. Make sure to store flour in a cool, dry place, as humidity exacerbates spoiling. Here's a tip: you can keep flour in the fridge or freezer to protect if from humidity! (credit:Fotosearch via Getty Images)

Spices(02 of07)

6-12 months, opened or unopened

This is a biggy. People tend to assume spices last forever -- or if not forever, at least a few years. According to Karen Page, who wrote The Flavor Bible, spices only last between six and 12 months. While expired spices may not be harmful, they'll lose their strength and won't have the same impact on your dishes. (credit:Monkey Business Images via Getty Images)

Brown Rice(03 of07)

6-8 months, opened or unopened

You might assume that brown rice lasts indefinitely, but you'd be wrong. Brown rice only lasts between six and eight months. White rice has a longer lifespan, four to five years according to Eat By Date, and indefinitely, if stored properly, according to Good Housekeeping. Brown rice, however, can go rancid. (credit:Riou via Getty Images)

Nuts(04 of07)

9-12 months for almonds
6-9 months for cashews
6-9 months for peanuts
6 months for pecans
3 months for pistachios
1-2 months for pine nuts

Depending on the nut, you could be looking at a very short lifespan. Unopened nuts will last longer, depending on the kind. It varies from nut to nut, and if you're worried you're not going to get through all your nuts fast enough, store them in the freezer! (credit:BSANI via Getty Images)

Cereal(05 of07)

4-6 months opened
6-8 months unopened

Buying cereal in bulk? Not so fast. Most likely your cereal will just go stale and not be harmful to eat, but it can go bad if stored in a humid climate and exposed to moisture. (credit:Adam Gault via Getty Images)

Ketchup(06 of07)

Up to 1 year for an opened bottle in the fridge
1-2 years unopened in the pantry

You might want to toss that bottle of ketchup that's been in your fridge for years. It may still be safe to consume, but if the liquid separates from the solid matter, it's not going to taste great. Save your hot dogs and burgers! (credit:Xebeche via Getty Images)

Certain Cooking Oils(07 of07)

3 months for grape seed oil, opened or unopened
6-8 months for opened sesame oil, 1 year for unopened
4-6 months for opened truffle oil, 1 year for unopened

Not all cooking oils are alike. While olive oil lasts up to two to three years, grape seed oil only lasts three months! Eat By Date has a complete list of different oils with their different expiration dates, according to where they're stored and if they're open or unopened. (credit:Jeffrey Coolidge via Getty Images)

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