Panera Bread has new warning for ‘charged lemonades’ after lawsuit over customer’s death

Panera Bread has new warning for ‘charged lemonades’ after lawsuit over customer’s death

Panera Bread has issued a new warning about its caffeinated lemonade.” The change comes following a lawsuit that claims a 21-year-old Ivy League student with a heart condition died after drinking Panera Bread’s “charged lemonade.”

The restaurant chain is now advising customers that the drinks contain “about as much caffeine as (Panera’s) Dark Roast Coffee” and is cautioning customers to “use in moderation” with disclaimers that it is “not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women,” per GMA.

The “charged lemonades” is advertised as taking lemonade to the next level, come in three flavors and are being marketed as a plant-based, “clean caffeine” instant energy drink from guarana and green coffee extract.

Earlier this month, a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia alleged that Sarah Katz, a student at Penn University, died from cardiac arrest after drinking the charged lemonade from Panera Bread.

“We were saddened to learn last week about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz. While our investigation is ongoing, out of an abundance of caution, we have enhanced our existing caffeine disclosure for these beverages at our bakery cafes, on our website and on the Panera app,” a spokesperson for Panera said in a statement.

According to the lawsuit, charged lemonade has anywhere from 260 to 390 milligrams of caffeine, exceeding the combined caffeine content of Red Bull (114 milligrams) and Monster Energy Drink (160 milligrams).