Panera is phasing out its highly caffeinated Charged Sips beverage, such as its Charged Lemonade, after multiple lawsuits alleged the drinks caused health problems and death. The fast-casual chain will introduce a new line of drinks including Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea, Citrus Punch, and a Tropical Green Smoothie as part of a menu overhaul initially announced in February.
“We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and are focusing next on the broad array of beverages we know our guests desire – ranging from exciting, on-trend flavors, to low sugar and low-caffeine options,” a Panera spokesperson told Fortune in a statement.
A December 2023 wrongful death and negligence lawsuit alleged that Charged Lemonade led to the death of 46-year-old David Brown. The Florida man reportedly drank three of the heavily caffeinated beverages, suffered cardiac arrest on his way home, and died. Per the lawsuit, Brown had a mild intellectual disability, chromosomal deficiency disorder, and other health complications. Two months before, the family of 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz, who died after drinking a Charged Lemonade, filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Katz had a heart condition.
The lawsuits said a 30-ounce Charged Lemonade contained 390 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of almost five 8.4-ounce cans of Red Bull. The Food and Drug Administration cites 400 milligrams of caffeine a day as “an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects,” but warns that “the risk of caffeine overdose increases as the concentration of caffeine in the product increases, meaning even small dosages of a highly concentrated product could lead to dangerous effects.”
Per a company memo, the company’s new drinks will be kept behind the stores’ counters, Bloomberg reported.
Gen Z keeps guzzling dangerous drinks and snacks
The rise of Panera’s Charged Sips, introduced in 2022 as a part of the company’s beverage subscription program, coincided with skyrocketing popularity of energy drinks among young people.
Celsius energy drinks—which contain 200 milligrams of caffeine per can and have touted their supposed ability to speed up the body’s ability to burn fat—has become a stalwart drink for Gen Z. (The company recommends consumers drink no more than two cans of the product per day.) The brand launched Celsius University in 2022, making…
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