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.

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.

  • jasondj@ttrpg.network
    82·
    1 year ago

    Nah caffeine is flavorless and addictive. You mix it in with water and a patented combination of flavors and corn syrup, and the customers just keep coming back for it.

    Selling an exclusive and addictive product is a good way to gain repeat customers.

    Hell serious caffeine addicts will see this headline and plan to head to Panera at some point this week to check it out. No different than when heroin gets cut with fentanyl. Maybe somebody dies, but more junkies just want to chase that high.

    • someguy3@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 year ago

      I’ve always wondered why caffeine pills don’t do better if that’s the goal. I think it’s more about the drink, not caffeine.

    • subignition@kbin.social
      2·
      1 year ago

      It’s not entirely flavorless, it has a slightly bitter taste, but generally if you’re at the point where you are noticing the taste you are either in severe trouble or you’ve done something like put a 100mg caffeine pill in plain water.

      • Kogasa@programming.dev
        0·
        1 year ago

        I take caffeine pills to regulate my dose (400mg / day, no more or less) and can’t take pills without chewing em. Pure caffeine tastes like giga-bitter dogshit. Nom nom.

        • subignition@kbin.social
          2·
          1 year ago

          I respect your grit, lol. I have 200mg caffeine pills but they don’t play too nicely with my stomach, so I keep them as a backup. I usually mix soda water with Costco brand energy shots for a comparable amount of caffeine which doesn’t cause issues for me for whatever reason.