this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 120 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Why on earth would they have that much caffeine for a lemonade at Panera?

[–] kautau 57 points 8 months ago (14 children)

This is from their website

The NEW Panera Charged Lemonades are the ultimate energy drink guaranteed to charge up your day. Powered by Clean caffeine from guarana and green coffee extract, these caffeinated lemonades feature refreshing mango, cranberry, or strawberry mint flavors. These drinks are cold, caffeinated, and so ready for summer. Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee.

So sounds like they are advertising it as a coffee or energy drink alternative

[–] Supervisor194 49 points 8 months ago (10 children)

That's fine and all but why so much? This stuff has 390mg caffeine, Red Bulls have 80mg. Such a weird thing for Panera of all places to do.

[–] kautau 19 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Looks like it has the same amount of caffeine as coffee. Guessing the large is 32 oz. That’s about on par with drinking 32oz of black coffee

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[–] CaptPretentious 12 points 8 months ago

Per fluid ounce it's actually not high. A 16 oz can of GFuel has 300mg.

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[–] ThePantser 11 points 8 months ago
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[–] _number8_ 84 points 8 months ago (3 children)

wait wait a lady fucking died and they're getting away with simply enhanced signs??

[–] [email protected] 49 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Well the FDA says the caffeine content is safe for an adult.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (2 children)

For an average healthy adult. That's what the disclaimers are for, so that those who can't tolerate it will know about it.

And yes, insufficient warnings should have pretty harsh penalties precisely for this reason

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

True. As for penalties, some pragmatism is needed lest you create another “everything causes cancer in California” joke.

A warning that’s applied to everything will be ignored by everyone.

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[–] Number1SummerJam 11 points 8 months ago (4 children)

The FDA also says brominated vegetable oil is safe for human consumption

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Putting up the sign now probably hurts them in a civil suit.

[–] DarthBueller 49 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Model (USA) Rule of Evidence 407: Subsequent remedial measures are not admissible as evidence to prove negligence, culpable conduct, a defect in a product or its design, or a need for a warning or instruction.

But the court may admit this evidence for another purpose, such as impeachment or — if disputed — proving ownership, control, or the feasibility of precautionary measures

EDIT: I’m not looking up the contextualing comments that accompany the rule, but I will share what I remember from law school many years ago: this rule exists for public safety. You don’t want to penalize fixing a dangerous situation, regardless of the facts of any specific case.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

But it does alleviate them from a second suit.

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[–] jaybone 10 points 8 months ago

Well this is like, how you do not eat things you are allergic too.

[–] [email protected] 74 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Why not just call it lemonade coffee or lemonade energy drink? Lemonade is not suppose to have caffeine.

[–] someguy3 37 points 8 months ago (2 children)

"Charged" is definitely not enough.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (11 children)

Whatever it is called with that kind of caffeine content you warning label it with listing of exactly how much caffeine it has. Well maybe unless it is named literally "coffee" and is plain brewed coffee and at that brewed coffee with the normal levels of caffeine coffee contains.

Ones frappe, whippazino also better have needed labels in cases, since given all they mix how the heck one is to know what exactly is the contents. Oh this is extra special "angry frappe" with double squared shot expresso, so exactly how much caffeine is that dear seller per one glass? I just thought you put chili in it or something to make it "angry", but has literally multiple times more caffeine content.

This is why all the energy drinks atleast where I live have the ever present "contains high amount of caffeine x mg/100ml".

You sell something like that as counter served item with no packaging label to read, well now your menu list must contains at minimum highlights. Something like "our special drunk (HC)" and then somewhere on the menu there reads "HC means high in caffeine". Then obviously at the counter must be a full labeling booklet of "here is our every product from the plainest brewed coffee to our jumbo mega sandwich and special brew beverage with full nutritional information and ingredients"

Just like one can't sell say a pastry in cafe with nut creme filling with out having a big marker on all the menus "contains nuts, nut allergies bevare". Since similarly nut allergic consuming nuts can be life threatening, well for some people consuming caffeine isn't healthy and must be disclosed.

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[–] someguy3 69 points 8 months ago (10 children)

This is a product made by Panera Bread? Lol I would not expect the store brand lemonade to be jacked on caffeine.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago

That was my exact same thought. Like, I had no idea they had a caffeinated lemonade, let alone a lemonade that was a beverage version of an energy pill they sell behind the counter at the gas station.

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 8 months ago (22 children)

I feel like every beverage containing caffeine should have its total content labeled.

Not because I'm sensitive or anything, I just need the biggest dose I can find in the morning.

Then again, I've been addicted to caffeine since child hood. I quit once, it was thought to be disturbing my sleep; NOPE! Just bipolar mania fucking it up.

If anyone is concerned, I'm on meds and doing well - I still might stab someone in the morning over getting in the way of caffeine though.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 8 months ago (1 children)

My kids went and filled their cups with this stuff before I noticed what it was and then had to be the bad guy, telling them to get the Minute Maid shite. Definitely lowered my opinion of Panera.

[–] Zoboomafoo 19 points 8 months ago (8 children)

Is the stuff just in the soda fountain?

[–] [email protected] 45 points 8 months ago

Separate dispensers like they said, but if you're paying the meal and you tell the kids to go get their drinks and they want lemonade you have to watch out they don't get the heart attack shit. Once you know you know, but I couldn't believe that's a thing that exists.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (6 children)

I'm shocked it took this long. The caffeine content in that shit is MIND BLOWING. When you buy a energy drink you know what you are signing up for. But a lemonade with 260 to 390mg of caffeine??? That's pushing the limit of a ~~healthy~~ safe daily dose for an average adult

[–] RampantParanoia2365 15 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Why the fuck would lemonade of all things have caffeine anyway?

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[–] SheeEttin 13 points 8 months ago (5 children)

That's about the same as a large coffee, but nobody blinks an eye at that. https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Because then people know what they're getting. That's why. She wouldn't have bought a large coffee like that

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (7 children)

What is going to come from this is Panera settles, and then sticks the charged lemonade behind the counter and enhances warning labels.

What may indirectly come from this is Solid Numbers on Caffeine overdose. and what is a safe amount and what is playing with fire.

It's a modern day created problem. energy drinks flood the market, other companies compete and boom, someone died. I've seen reports that she had some medical issues and caffeine was like her version of a bee sting or peanut allergy , but I've yet to corroborate that narrative.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago

I figured it had more caffeine than tea but less than coffee. Clearly very wrong. Glad I didn't drink this stuff while I was pregnant.

[–] TokenBoomer 23 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Is this lawsuit gonna drive the price of sandwiches from $15 to $30? /s

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Now the sales for that drink is going to go up, due to human curiosity.

[–] mr_sifl 15 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I definitely want some caffeinated lemonade

[–] FlyingSquid 31 points 8 months ago (10 children)

There's caffeinated lemonade and then there's '10 mg away from the maximum daily recommendation of caffeine' lemonade.

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[–] ikidd 17 points 8 months ago (2 children)

400 mg a day?

Apparently I should be dead.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

Most 8 ounce cups of coffee contain 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. A large coffee from Tim Hortons is 20 ounces which has roughly 250mg of caffeine. And I used to drink 2, sometimes 3 or 4, of those a day.

I'll likely be dead by next Tuesday. I sure could go for a coffee right now though.

Edit: For those that want to plan accordingly, a 20 ounce blonde roast from Starbucks has 475mg of caffeine. The dark roast had about 340mg.

[–] KnightontheSun 10 points 8 months ago (6 children)

Well, the body changes over time. I used to drink a ton of coffee back in my 20-30s. Something happened in my 40s. I became very sensitive to caffeine and I couldn’t handle anything more than a cup. Now I can’t drink it on the regular as it will keep me awake at night. I miss it very much, so every now and then I’ll have a cup, but only if I know I have the next day off.

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[–] Etterra 14 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

Who'd have thought a place that can't even make a bagel with cream cheese properly would be the one to turbo-charge the lemonade.

Seriously, once I decided to get one and they gave me an uncut bagel and little shitty single-serve cream cheese. Even I asked wtf and said I wanted it done they looked at me as if I were from friggin outer space.

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