this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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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.

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[–] blazera@kbin.social 112 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Why on earth would they have that much caffeine for a lemonade at Panera?

[–] kautau@lemmy.world 53 points 2 years ago (2 children)

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 44 points 2 years ago (4 children)

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 18 points 2 years 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

[–] CaptPretentious@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

Per fluid ounce it's actually not high. A 16 oz can of GFuel has 300mg.

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[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago
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[–] _number8_@lemmy.world 78 points 2 years ago (2 children)

wait wait a lady fucking died and they're getting away with simply enhanced signs??

[–] Steve@startrek.website 44 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Well the FDA says the caffeine content is safe for an adult.

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 24 points 2 years ago (2 children)

For an average healthy adult. That's what the disclaimers are for, so that those who can't tolerate it will know about it.

And yes, insufficient warnings should have pretty harsh penalties precisely for this reason

[–] Steve@startrek.website 9 points 2 years ago

True. As for penalties, some pragmatism is needed lest you create another “everything causes cancer in California” joke.

A warning that’s applied to everything will be ignored by everyone.

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[–] Number1SummerJam@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (4 children)

The FDA also says brominated vegetable oil is safe for human consumption

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[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

Well this is like, how you do not eat things you are allergic too.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 63 points 2 years ago (3 children)

This is a product made by Panera Bread? Lol I would not expect the store brand lemonade to be jacked on caffeine.

[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Probably some executive's nephew or something invented it. Absolutely a stupid idea.

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[–] Case@lemmynsfw.com 45 points 2 years ago (9 children)

I feel like every beverage containing caffeine should have its total content labeled.

Not because I'm sensitive or anything, I just need the biggest dose I can find in the morning.

Then again, I've been addicted to caffeine since child hood. I quit once, it was thought to be disturbing my sleep; NOPE! Just bipolar mania fucking it up.

If anyone is concerned, I'm on meds and doing well - I still might stab someone in the morning over getting in the way of caffeine though.

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[–] cheeseandrice@lemm.ee 39 points 2 years ago (1 children)

My kids went and filled their cups with this stuff before I noticed what it was and then had to be the bad guy, telling them to get the Minute Maid shite. Definitely lowered my opinion of Panera.

[–] Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Is the stuff just in the soda fountain?

[–] cheeseandrice@lemm.ee 39 points 2 years ago

Separate dispensers like they said, but if you're paying the meal and you tell the kids to go get their drinks and they want lemonade you have to watch out they don't get the heart attack shit. Once you know you know, but I couldn't believe that's a thing that exists.

[–] Ender2k@kbin.social 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

No. Seperate dispensers completely.

And clearly marked as Charged Lemonade with the calorie and caffeine content for both the 20oz and 30oz cups on the dispenser since they were introduced.

[–] dill@lemmy.one 31 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

I'm shocked it took this long. The caffeine content in that shit is MIND BLOWING. When you buy a energy drink you know what you are signing up for. But a lemonade with 260 to 390mg of caffeine??? That's pushing the limit of a ~~healthy~~ safe daily dose for an average adult

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Why the fuck would lemonade of all things have caffeine anyway?

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[–] SheeEttin@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (5 children)

That's about the same as a large coffee, but nobody blinks an eye at that. https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 11 points 2 years ago

Because then people know what they're getting. That's why. She wouldn't have bought a large coffee like that

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[–] Colorcodedresistor@lemm.ee 27 points 2 years ago (2 children)

What is going to come from this is Panera settles, and then sticks the charged lemonade behind the counter and enhances warning labels.

What may indirectly come from this is Solid Numbers on Caffeine overdose. and what is a safe amount and what is playing with fire.

It's a modern day created problem. energy drinks flood the market, other companies compete and boom, someone died. I've seen reports that she had some medical issues and caffeine was like her version of a bee sting or peanut allergy , but I've yet to corroborate that narrative.

[–] AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Yes, prior reporting covered that she had a heart condition and she was extremely aware that too much caffeine would kill her. The lemonade was clearly labeled with its caffeine content. It didn't say it was extreme, but it was clearly labeled with how much is in it. The story that "she didn't know" doesn't add up unless she was just being wildly negligent.

Article with image of the labeling: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/10/24/paneras-caffeinated-charged-lemonade-blamed-for-college-students-death-in-lawsuit/amp/

As someone with a food allergy, I check everything I eat for my allergens. If I'm not sure what's in it, I don't eat it. And all that will happen to me is I'll feel ill for a while. Anyone with a lethal condition damn well knows better.

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[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Is this lawsuit gonna drive the price of sandwiches from $15 to $30? /s

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[–] Null@pawb.social 18 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Now the sales for that drink is going to go up, due to human curiosity.

[–] mr_sifl@lemmy.world 14 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I definitely want some caffeinated lemonade

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago (9 children)

There's caffeinated lemonade and then there's '10 mg away from the maximum daily recommendation of caffeine' lemonade.

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[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago (2 children)

400 mg a day?

Apparently I should be dead.

[–] Bonehead@kbin.social 16 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Most 8 ounce cups of coffee contain 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. A large coffee from Tim Hortons is 20 ounces which has roughly 250mg of caffeine. And I used to drink 2, sometimes 3 or 4, of those a day.

I'll likely be dead by next Tuesday. I sure could go for a coffee right now though.

Edit: For those that want to plan accordingly, a 20 ounce blonde roast from Starbucks has 475mg of caffeine. The dark roast had about 340mg.

[–] KnightontheSun@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Well, the body changes over time. I used to drink a ton of coffee back in my 20-30s. Something happened in my 40s. I became very sensitive to caffeine and I couldn’t handle anything more than a cup. Now I can’t drink it on the regular as it will keep me awake at night. I miss it very much, so every now and then I’ll have a cup, but only if I know I have the next day off.

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[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Who'd have thought a place that can't even make a bagel with cream cheese properly would be the one to turbo-charge the lemonade.

Seriously, once I decided to get one and they gave me an uncut bagel and little shitty single-serve cream cheese. Even I asked wtf and said I wanted it done they looked at me as if I were from friggin outer space.

[–] snippyfulcrum@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Pretty sure it's normal to put your own cream cheese on... But it would have been nice if they'd at least cut the bagel, I guess.

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[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

(not so) fun fact: they put it where they normally place non caffeinated drinks

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