Panera to discontinue Charged Lemonade energy drinks after deaths & lawsuits
After several deaths, serious medical incidents, and subsequent lawsuits, Panera is finally discontinuing their Charged Lemonade energy drink. For a quick refresher, Charged Lemonades have almost 300mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of almost three cups of coffee. It also contains more caffeine and sugar than Red Bull or a Monster energy drink. Last fall, the families of two people with pre-existing heart conditions filed wrongful death lawsuits against Panera, claiming that the company marked it as a “plant-based and clean” beverage with the same amount of caffeine as a dark roast of coffee. In January, a third lawsuit was filed by a young woman who claimed that despite not having any underlying medical conditions, she was left with “permanent cardiac injuries.” In March, a teenager went into cardiac arrest after drinking one, leaving him with “a defibrillator implanted in chest,” possibly for the rest of his life.
Panera has continued to deny culpability in any of the medical incidents or deaths. Instead, they first responded by saying they would put better signage up, warning people of the high caffeine content. They later moved it out of the self-serve machines and behind the counter, so that an employee had to dispense it. In addition to getting rid of the Charged Lemonades, Panera will also be introducing four new drinks in the upcoming weeks, including a “blueberry lavender lemonade, a pomegranate hibiscus tea, a citrus punch, and a tropical green smoothie.”
Panera Bread Co. is discontinuing its Charged Sips, which have drawn lawsuits alleging the caffeinated drinks lead to health issues. To replace the drinks, the company plans to introduce new beverages in the next two weeks, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg News. Cafes were instructed to stop ordering the product to avoid having excessive inventory. In a statement, Panera said the company will introduce a blueberry lavender lemonade, a pomegranate hibiscus tea, a citrus punch and a tropical green smoothie.
“We are excited to continue the success of our recent menu transformation, which began with our core options of sandwiches and salads,” a company spokesperson said, referring to a revamp unveiled in February, adding that Panera is focusing on a “broad array of beverages” including “low-sugar and low-caffeine options.”
Panera’s Charged Sips lineup became the target of controversy following allegations that they cause adverse — and even fatal — health effects. Lawsuits include one filed by the family of a 21-year-old student who drank the beverage, which the suit alleges led to a cardiac arrest. The Charged Sips can contain more caffeine than some energy drinks.
The chain introduced the products in 2022 as part of a subscription program that gave customers unlimited refills to many of its beverages. It was seeking to capture a slice of the $21 billion energy-drink market, which grew by 8.6% last year, according to Beverage Digest.
Cafes had already moved the drinks from the front of the store, where customers could freely access them, to behind the counter. The new beverages that are being introduced will also be kept behind the bar, according to the communication. Panera had previously said it stands by the safety of its beverages, and it had added warnings to the drinks to indicate they’re caffeinated.
I honestly do not know what took so long for Panera to remove these drinks. I also don’t get why they didn’t just lower the caffeine content to a healthier level after the first lawsuit. There are a couple of other things to note. The first one is that the FDA has revealed that as a result of the second lawsuit, which was the death of 21-year-old Sarah Katz, they are “gathering information” about the drink and events leading to her passing. The second thing of note is that Panera allegedly filed IPO paperwork in late 2023 and is planning on going public some time this year. There’s nothing to finally get a big company to care and take action than the threat of a government investigation potentially messing with profits, #amirite? I think it’s sh-tty that Panera waited this long to discontinue Charged Lemonades, but am relieved that they’re finally doing so before yet another person gets hurt or worse.
photos credit Panera via Instagram
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