The parents of a college student who died after drinking a “Charged Lemonade” from Panera Bread have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant chain.
CNN is reporting that the 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student, Sarah Katz, went into cardiac arrest while at a restaurant with friends in 2022.
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The lawsuit alleges that Katz didn’t realize she was drinking an energy drink, because she had a known heart condition called long QT syndrome, which she managed through medication and by limiting caffeine. The lawsuit alleges that Panera misled consumers by not labeling the product as an energy drink.
“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.”
Panera advertises that its Charged Lemonade has about the same amount of caffeine as its Dark Roast coffee. However, the large size comes in a 30-oz cup, which contains about 390 mg of caffeine — which is equal to between four and five cups of coffee.