Panera Bread’s “Charged Lemonade” Under Scrutiny

The first case that brought this issue to light involved Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a known heart condition.

According to the lawsuit filed by her family, Katz died from cardiac arrest after consuming Panera’s Charged Lemonade, which she believed was a traditional lemonade or an electrolyte sports drink with a safe amount of caffeine.

However, a large serving of this drink contains a staggering 390 milligrams of caffeine—more than what is found in cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined. Following Katz’s tragic death, another lawsuit emerged involving Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old Florida man who also suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.

Brown, who had high blood pressure and avoided significant caffeine intake, had been drinking the Charged Lemonade for six days as part of Panera’s “Unlimited Sip Club” subscription service. His family claims he was unaware of the drink’s caffeine content…