After several lawsuits were filed against the company, Panera Bread announced it would be phasing out a popular menu item.
Three lawsuits were filed within the last year, blaming the Charged Lemonade drinks for killing two people and leaving a third with “permanent” heart injuries.
Multiple Lawsuits Filed Against Panera Bread
Many lawsuits were filed against the company, blaming the Charged Lemonade drinks for killing two individuals.
The first suit claimed the highly caffeinated drink was consumed by a Pennsylvania college student who had a pre-existing heart condition. The family filed a lawsuit after she died, blaming the Charged Lemonade, per The Daily Mail.
“She was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe,” a friend of the victim told NBC News last year. “I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole.”
According to court documents obtained by The Daily Mail, the 28-year-old student “suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after consuming the lemonade” and “a serious heart rhythm condition called long QT syndrome, which causes the heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia).”
Another Family Sues Panera Bread
A second lawsuit was filed by the family of a Florida man, who also died after drinking several Charged Lemonades from Panera Bread.
According to the suit, obtained by The Daily Mail, 46-year-old Dennis Brown “went into cardiac arrest on October 9 just after he left his local branch of Panera Bread in Fleming Island. He was found unresponsive on the sidewalk and pronounced dead on the scene.”
He lived with “developmental disabilities and high blood pressure,” per the suit, and had been consuming the drink consistently for three weeks before his death.
Panera Bread’s Lemonade Allegedly Left A Woman With Heart Injuries
The third lawsuit was filed by a 28-year-old Rhode Island native, claiming the highly caffeinated beverage was the cause of “permanent” heart injuries.
According to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News, Lauren Skerritt was “healthy and athletic” when she drank the beverages, but shortly after, she suffered “heart palpitations” and now has “permanent cardiac injuries.”
“Lauren continues to experience supraventricular tachycardia with associated shortness of breath, palpitations, brain fog, difficulty thinking and concentrating, body shakes, and weakness,” the lawsuit stated.
The Panera Charged Lemonade caffeine content reportedly ranges from 260 milligrams in 20 fluid ounces (a regular-size drink) to 390 milligrams in 30 fluid ounces (a large-size drink).
The lawsuit claimed, “At 30 fluid ounces, Panera Charged Lemonade exceeds the combined contents of 12 fluid ounces of Red Bull (114 milligrams caffeine) and 16 fluid ounces of Monster Energy Drink (160 milligrams caffeine.)”
More About The Panera Bread Item Being Removing From Its Menu
After several lawsuits were filed, Panera Bread announced it would eliminate the Charged Lemonade drinks from its menu.
A 30-ounce large Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams of caffeine, which is nearly the entire recommended daily limit from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera and are focusing next on the broad array of beverages we know our guests desire—ranging from exciting, on-trend flavors to low-sugar and low-caffeine options,” a spokesperson for Panera told NBC News.
What Is The Charged Lemonade?
Panera Bread previously described the drink as “Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee.” However, the lawsuits claimed that a large, 30-fluid-ounce Charged Lemonade has 390 milligrams, which is more caffeine than any size of Panera’s dark roast coffee.
According to NBC, Panera updated its nutrition information after the lawsuits were filed to reflect the amount of caffeine in the Charged Lemonade with ice. Now, it states that the large size of the blood orange Charged Lemonade has 302 milligrams.
“Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women,” the company warns of the drink. “Contains Allulose: adds a negligible amount of sugar.”
Source Agencies
