Panera to discontinue Charged Lemonade following multiple death lawsuits

Panera Bread is removing its Charged Lemonade drinks from the menu. The ruling follows a handful of lawsuits, including one from the family of a New Jersey woman who died after consuming the drink.

Panera officials did not outright say they were removing the drink because of the lawsuits, but instead said their menu was undergoing a transformation. News 12 has learned the drinks will be phased out.

News 12 spoke with attorney Elizabeth Crawford who represents the family of Sarah Katz, the Jersey City woman who died after drinking the highly caffeinated beverage.

“It certainly doesn’t take away from the fact that the product caused the death of Sarah Katz. What it does do is prevent this from happening to anyone else,” says Crawford.

Katz, 21, died in September 2022 of cardiac arrest believed to have been caused by the caffeinated lemonade drink sold at Panera Bread. His family filed a lawsuit against the restaurant last October. On Tuesday, his family’s lawyer said the first goal of the trial had been achieved.

“One of the goals of this lawsuit filed by the family was to expose this product, first of all, so that the public is aware of the potential dangers of the product, and then also to get this product removed,” says Crawford .

The restaurant chain said its menu is undergoing a transformation that started with its main sandwich and salad options. In a statement, a Panera Bread spokesperson said in part: “We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they want from Panera and then focus on the broad range of beverages we know our customers enjoy.” desire – ranging from exciting and trendy flavors. to low-sugar and low-caffeine options.

The Katz family lawyer says she is not surprised by this response.

“First a lawsuit was filed, then they issued enhanced warnings to alert people that the product is highly caffeinated, and that may not be the case for some people, and then other lawsuits are filed and then they pull the product and to think that it’s a coincidence and has nothing to do with the fact that they reviewed this product and felt it was unsafe – I don’t. don’t think we believe in such coincidences,” says Crawford.

Katz was diagnosed with heart disease at age 5. Due to her condition, she took medication, limited her caffeine intake and avoided energy drinks. The lawsuit says the large lemonade charger Katz drank was not properly labeled and was the equivalent of three energy drinks, a dangerous amount for someone with underlying heart disease.

Although the drinks are being removed from the rotation, the lawsuits against Panera Bread are still ongoing. The Katz family has a court date in September.