After Student's Death, Panera's Lemonade Gets Warning Label

But lawyer for family of student says labels don't go far enough
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 30, 2023 3:30 AM CDT
After Student's Death, Panera Adds Warnings to Lemonade
A Panera Bread logo is attached to the outside of a Panera Bread restaurant location, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, in Westwood, Mass.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In the wake of a lawsuit filed against it over the death of a 21-year-old woman after drinking its "Charged Lemonade," Panera has added warning labels to the drink. The Guardian has a picture of the label at one of the chain's locations, warning that the beverage contains caffeine and is not recommended for certain people (including those sensitive to caffeine) and should be consumed in moderation. Similar text can be seen on Panera's website. A lawyer for the family of Sarah Katz, who died within hours of drinking the lemonade, tells NBC News that the warnings, which Panera says are on display at all stores, do not go far enough.

The attorney notes that since a large size Charged Lemonade has 390 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than standard-sized cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, the sign is "misleading in the sense that it's not indicating that it is an energy drink." Katz had a heart condition and avoided high doses of caffeine, but did not realize the lemonade she was drinking was actually an energy drink, the lawyer and her family and friends say. The attorney adds that since the beverage is part of Panera's Unlimited Sip Club, which Katz had just joined, "it's suggesting to consumers that it's safe to have more than one. And that is a big problem because it's not safe to have one, let alone more than one." She says the lemonades should be kept behind the counter and not made available for refills. (More Panera Bread stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X