Sarah Katz, 21, had a heart condition and died hours after she drank Panera’s Charged Lemonade, a large cup of which contains more caffeine than Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined.

All Panera Bread restaurants are now displaying “enhanced” disclosures about the restaurant chain’s highly caffeinated lemonade, a spokesperson said Saturday, following a lawsuit that was filed by the family of a young woman who died after drinking the beverage.

Monday’s lawsuit, which was first obtained by NBC News, alleges that Sarah Katz, an Ivy League student with a heart condition, died after she drank Panera’s Charged Lemonade last year.

A large Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams — nearly the 400-milligram daily maximum of caffeine that the Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can safely consume.

  • kautau@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is from their website

    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 flavors. These drinks are cold, caffeinated, and so ready for summer. Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee.

    So sounds like they are advertising it as a coffee or energy drink alternative

    • Supervisor194@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      That’s fine and all but why so much? This stuff has 390mg caffeine, Red Bulls have 80mg. Such a weird thing for Panera of all places to do.

      • kautau@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Looks like it has the same amount of caffeine as coffee. Guessing the large is 32 oz. That’s about on par with drinking 32oz of black coffee

        • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          It’s about as much caffeine as a “typical coffee”, but it’s really about 2/3 as much caffeine as any real-world coffee. Dunkies, Starbucks, and Panera’s own light roast is 50% stronger per oz than this drink.

      • Kogasa@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        Coffee drinkers drink several times more caffeine on average than energy drink drinkers. A large coffee from Panera has over 400mg caffeine.

      • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Because they won’t say “no” if somebody wants to buy a FucktonLarge size. Their regular is only 250mg.

        Note, the number is conspicuously perfect that you could have one large every morning and still be within FDA recommendations. (400mg)

        • frokie@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That was before. The enhanced signs are paper printed taped messages saying it’s not recommended for pregnant women, people sensitive to caffeine, and children.

        • nilloc
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          1 year ago

          Yup, and the next 2 bubbler things to the left are regular (though I’m sure insanely sugary) lemonade and iced tea. So if you didn’t read carefully you wouldn’t know you were dosing on significant amounts of caffeine with your lunch or dinner.

          • burgersc12@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            It says “Charged” and specifically points out caffeine in 2 seperate spots on each sign. Imo if you don’t see that, it’s on you

            • tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              1 year ago

              We see so many ads every day that I tune out a lot of bullshit around marketing, I could easily see how a person grabbing a drink would only see the big ‘mango yuzu citrus’ and not think that was caffeinated. At first glance the label just looks like the calorie information, though it is true it should be the person’s responsibility to notice, but I could see a reasonable person making this mistake easily.

              • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                I’m not sure what we need more than 9 distinct caffeine notifications in a 2x2 area, in a section where 99% of the drinks are caffeinated and have never been marked such, to suspect that maybe this is caffeinated, too.

                There’s a fine line between “it’s Panera’s fault” and “It’s the girl’s fault” that reads “holy shit, what a tragedy!”

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Fuck, I’d stay away just for those awful-sounding flavors. Can’t lemonade just be lemon flavored?

            • kautau@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              “What’s the deal with caffeine drinks these days!?”

              Seinfeld stand up theme plays

              • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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                11 months ago

                I don’t like all these flavored coffees. Maple nut butter caramel fudge whatever. Can I just get a regular coffee?

                Yes sir, right away. Here’s your tall black coffee

                I mean, what’s the world coming to? I go into a coffee shop and I can’t even get a normal coffee for a normal guy

                Absolutely, sir. Anyway, that’ll be $3.95 and if you want cream or sugar in your black, drip-brewed coffee there’s a stand over there

                I’m just a regular guy who wants a regular coffee, but in this crazy, mixed-up world…