Panera Bread has been excluded from its caffeinated beverage, ‘charged lemonade, ‘ because a second wrongful death occurred with this drink. Panera Bread’s wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Monday, which mentioned that a 46-year-old Florida Man, Dennis Brown, passed away after consuming three servings of the drink.
According to the Panera bread wrongful death lawsuit, Brown’s family filed in Superior Court in Delaware, he suffered a cardiac event when he was coming back home from a Panera Bread on Fleming Island. The lawsuit alleged that Panera knew or should have known that the lemonade charge had high risks, particularly for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Panera is a St. Louis-based company that introduced Charged Sips in the spring of 2022. The fruit-flavored beverage contains almost 155 milligrams and 302 milligrams of caffeine. According to the US FDA, a cup of 8-ounce coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine.
Panera’s natural drinks helped customers achieve functional benefits like immunity and energy boost. The charge contains caffeine derived from guarana, a plant extract often used in energy drinks and green coffee extract.
What is Charged Lemonade?
Charged lemonade beverage has more caffeine than a 12-ounce Red Bull and 16-ounce Monster energy drink. The first wrongful lawsuit happened when a 21-year-old woman died after consuming the drink in October. Panera claimed to have enhanced our caffeine disclosure on platforms and in restaurants.
The lawsuit filed in Delaware said that Brown had ordered Panera change lemonade seven times over two weeks in September and October. In addition, it was disclosed that Brown’s medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, developmental delay, hyperactivity disorder, and chromosomal disorder, cause a mild intellectual disability and blurry vision.
According to the lawsuit, Brown believed the lemonade that Panera had charged was safe. In response to the lawsuit, Panera released a statement and expressed sympathy for the family while defending the safety of its products. In the statement, it was said that the company’s investigation led them to believe that Brown did not die because of the company’s products.
Response By Panera Bread Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Panera faced at least three separate lawsuits in recent months, which claimed the high levels of caffeine in the product led to the death of two customers and irreversible health complications.
The spokesperson said the new drinks would be replaced by including low-sugar and low-caffeine options such as new blueberry lavender lemonade, citrus punch, pomegranate tea, and a topical green smoothie.
Panera did not remove the Charged Lemonade from the menu despite the controversies. Experts suggested removing this drink immediately, but they did not.
According to lawyers, this can have a detrimental impact, and the company can lose thousands of dollars. The lawsuit notes that the charged lemonade was also offered noncaffeinated options at Panera but never advertised as an energy drink.
The Panera revamped its offerings with its largest menu transformation ever and refocused its selection on soups, salads, sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese.
However, the spokesperson said we asked more than 30,000 guests what they wanted from Panera and what the guests desired beverages. Now, Panera’s online menu includes the phrase ‘Consume in Moderation. ‘ Caffeinated beverages are not recommended for children, pregnant women, and people sensitive to caffeine.