May 07, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Panera's line of "charged" lemonades contained up to 390 milligrams of caffeine. The families of Sarah Katz, a Penn student, and Dennis Brown, a Florida resident, sued the company over their deaths.
Panera will be phasing out its "charged" lemonades, which multiple lawsuits have linked to serious injuries and death.
According to NBC News, the charged lemonades will be discontinued amid a "menu transformation" that could occur in as little as two weeks. Leaked memos reviewed by multiple news outlets indicate that some Panera stores have already stopped ordering the ingredients for the beverages. In their place, Panera will introduce a blueberry lavender lemonade, pomegranate hibiscus tea, tropical green smoothie and citrus punch, Bloomberg reports.
The line of caffeinated lemonades made national headlines last year after the family of Penn student Sarah Katz filed a lawsuit blaming her death on the drinks. As Katz's parents detailed in the litigation, the 21-year-old suffered from a heart condition that made consuming high amounts of caffeine dangerous. The suit accused Panera of not properly labeling the lemonades, which at one point contained 260-390 milligrams of caffeine, as energy drinks. The Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 400 milligrams per day for healthy adults.
The family of Florida resident Dennis Brown also sued Panera, alleging the 46-year-old died after consuming three of the lemonades. Like Katz, he apparently avoided caffeine for health reasons, in this case high blood pressure. A third suit from a Rhode Island woman said the charged lemonades left her with "permanent cardiac injuries."
Since news of the Katz lawsuit broke in October 2023, Panera has amended the language on its website. While it once advertised the lemonades as "the ultimate energy drink(s)," the company now includes a warning to "consume in moderation" and avoid the beverages if you are pregnant, nursing or sensitive to caffeine. It has also seemingly lowered the caffeine content to 155-302 milligrams, depending on the size and flavor.
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