01 November 2023 , 10:02
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Panera Bread updated the warning for its "Charged Lemonade" products following a lawsuit claiming the drink caused the death of a student.
The parents of 21-year-old Sarah Katz, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread after their daughter passed away in September 2022. The young woman suffered two cardiac arrests shortly after consuming a beverage known as "Panera Charged Lemonade" at a local Panera Bread store.
The restaurant chain has since revised the warning for its "Charged Lemonade" products. The updated warning on the lemonade's online description now highlights its caffeine content, stating it has as much caffeine as their Dark Roast Coffee. The warning emphasises moderation and advises against consumption for children, individuals sensitive to caffeine, and pregnant or nursing women.
READ MORE: Family sue Panera as student dies of heart attack after drinking 'charged lemonade'
The products' online description now reads: "The NEW Panera Charged Lemonades are the ultimate energy drink guaranteed to charge up your day. Powered by Clean caffeine from guarana and green coffee extract, these caffeinated lemonades feature refreshing mango, cranberry, or strawberry mint flavours. These drinks are cold, caffeinated, and so ready for summer. Plant-based and Clean with as much CAFFEINE as our Dark Roast coffee. Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women."
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The Charged Lemonade is sold at Panera Bread restaurants (Gado via Getty Images)And the company adds: "Charged Lemonade beverages are available in participating Panera Bread bakery-cafes. Pricing and availability may vary. Charged Lemonade beverages contain caffeine from: caffeine, green coffee extract and guarana extract. Each beverage without ice contains the following mgs of caffeine: Strawberry Lemon Mint: 20 fl oz with 260mg and 30 fl oz with 390mg; Mango Yuzu Citrus: 20 fl oz with 260mg and 30 fl oz with 390mg; and Fuji Apple Cranberry: 20 fl oz with 259mg and 30 fl oz with 389mg. For more information visit: Panerabread.com/Chargers."
The beverage, which was previously not labelled as an "energy drink," surpasses the combined caffeine content of popular energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster Energy Drink. Lawyers for the family argue that Katz was unaware of the drink's high caffeine levels and assert that Panera failed to adequately warn consumers about the potential dangers.
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According to the lawsuit, Katz, who had a pre-existing heart condition called Long QT Type 1 Syndrome, unknowingly consumed a lethal dose of caffeine. The lawsuit, seen by WSB-TV contends that Panera marketed the Charged Lemonade as a plant-based and "clean" beverage, similar in caffeine content to their dark-roast coffee.
However, the family's lawyers claim that the packaging was misleading, providing no indication of the drink's highly caffeinated nature and calling it a "dangerous energy drink". Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Panera was aware of the potential risks associated with the beverage but did not provide any warnings, saying the company knew once consumed, the drink "could injure children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people sensitive to caffeine - including those with underlying heart problems - by causing catastrophic injuries and/or death."
It has it has the same amount of caffeine as their dark roast coffee (Gado via Getty Images)Sarah Katz, a dedicated student studying international relations and health and societies, had a promising future ahead of her. She worked as a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and was actively involved with the American Heart Association, teaching CPR in high schools. Recently, she had been awarded a full-merit scholarship to study Mandarin at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
Panera Bread issued a statement expressing their condolences to the Katz family and pledged to "thoroughly investigate" the matter. The statement read: "We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter."