Behind Grandma's Criminal Charges: 25-Year-Old Hot Chocolate

What should have been a sweet treat has reportedly resulted in charges for a 77-year-old grandmother in Italy. Three kids and at least two adults—one of whom was the woman herself—got sick after they drank the stuff, which came from a bag that expired 25 years ago, UPI reports. The sachets of cocoa had been in the woman's cupboard for decades, the Local reports; according to Yahoo7 News, it wasn't until later that the woman noticed the 1990 expiration date.

The hot chocolate came at the request of the kids, Yahoo7 notes; they included two grandchildren and one of their friends. Reports, which largely cite Italian media, vary regarding the adults' identities; they may have included the woman's son and/or her partner. The whole group was hospitalized, the Local reports. Now, per the Guardian, the woman has been charged with causing injury through neglect. Yahoo7 notes that hot chocolate mix can contain powdered milk, which may eventually go bad. (It's been a difficult week for Italian grandmothers: Another woman has been facing eviction from her longtime apartment in New York's Little Italy.)