Panera Faces Lawsuit Over Lemonade

[Aroxez]

A 21-year-old woman with a heart condition is dead after consuming a heavily caffeinated energy drink at Panera Bread that she may have believed was regular lemonade, her parents alleged in a wrongful death suit against the restaurant chain.

In September 2022, after drinking “Charged Lemonade,” Sarah Katz experienced cardiac arrest while at a restaurant with friends and died after being transported to the hospital and suffering a second arrest, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Monday morning in Philadelphia.

Katz’s parents are seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

“We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family,” Panera told CNN in a statement. “At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.”

In an autopsy report obtained by CNN, the medical examiner cites Katz’s cause of death as cardiac arrhythmia due to long QT syndrome (LQTS). LQTS is a disorder that can cause fast and irregular heartbeats that can be life-threatening, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Full story can be found: Panera faces lawsuit over 'Charged Lemonade' energy drink after 21-year-old's death | CNN Business

Seems a little much in my book, but what are other peoples' thoughts?

 

[Utopia]

The drink has excessive amounts of caffeine levels. I recall seeing that one drink has 4x the amount of caffeine than 1 cup of coffee. The common side effects of excessive caffeine intake include rapid heartbeat and heart palpitations. Anyone with preexisting heart problems will be more affected to the excessive volume of caffeine levels than the average person. This is something Panera should have been privy to when creating products for public consumption. No drink needs that much caffeine to begin with.

 

[Aroxez]

The drink has excessive amounts of caffeine levels. I recall seeing that one drink has 4x the amount of caffeine than 1 cup of coffee. The common side effects of excessive caffeine include rapid heartbeat and heart palpitations. Anyone with preexisting heart problems will be more affected to the excessive volume of caffeine levels than the average person. This is something Panera should have been privy to when creating products for public consumption. No drink needs that much caffeine to begin with.

Would agree completely. I'd like to see how much they actually sell and what the difference would be if they had one with no caffeine.

 

[Utopia]

Would agree completely. I'd like to see how much they actually sell and what the difference would be if they had one with no caffeine.

The drink was popularized through social media as the better alternative to coffee for college students. If they significantly reduced the amount of caffeine in it, making it around similar levels to coffee, I can see a dramatic reduction in sales. Completely taking away the caffeine would just make the drink a bland lemonade. It will be interesting to see what they do with the product moving forward.

 

The drink has excessive amounts of caffeine levels. I recall seeing that one drink has 4x the amount of caffeine than 1 cup of coffee. The common side effects of excessive caffeine intake include rapid heartbeat and heart palpitations. Anyone with preexisting heart problems will be more affected to the excessive volume of caffeine levels than the average person. This is something Panera should have been privy to when creating products for public consumption. No drink needs that much caffeine to begin with.

Never knew that lol. Had that drink a few months ago and was absolutely wired at work for hours. This explains it.

 

[Aroxez]

Never knew that lol. Had that drink a few months ago and was absolutely wired at work for hours. This explains it.

I think the large one has almost 400 mg of caffeine which is quite a bit.

 

I think the large one has almost 400 mg of caffeine which is quite a bit.

Yeah that should probably be illegal lol.

 

[Aroxez]

Kinda nuts lol. I think 300 should be max

 

Kinda nuts lol. I think 300 should be max

300 is still pretty high. These lawsuits are going to make some people rich lol.