Breaking News: Panera Bread Removes Energy Drink Products Named in Three Wrongful Death Lawsuits

Panera Bread is known as a fast casual food chain with ‘clean’ ingredients relative to its competitors like Subway, McDonald’s, Starbucks and similar fast food, specialty beverage, and sandwich shops.

The company includes a ‘Clean Ingredients’ promise on its website sharing its commitment to ‘cleaning up’ its recipes in recent years with the removal of artificial colors, flavors, and similar ingredients.

Now, the company is in the crosshairs yet again after it has decided to remove three high-caffeine energy drinks linked to health issues and wrongful deaths in at least three lawsuits filed recently.

The drinks were sold in Panera Bread restaurant chain locations in several locations and are being singled out for high caffeine content that could exasperate existing heart conditions.

Panera Bread Energy Drinks Pulled From Shelves 

The energy drinks in question, ‘Charged Lemonade’ beverages, were served fountain-style at Panera locations.

The three beverages being discontinued are Blood Orange, Strawberry Lemon Mint Lemonade and Mango Yuzu Lemonade, each of which contains between 155 milligrams and 302 milligrams of caffeine.

Lawsuits claim the large, 30-ounce beverages had nearly 400 mg of caffeine. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recommended daily caffeine intake is just 400 milligrams.

A Panera bread spokesman told FOX Business that the company is revamping its menu based on guest feedback.

“We are excited to continue the success of our recent menu transformation, which began with our core options of sandwiches and salads,” a report from FOX said.

Panera spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement. “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.”

Deceased Student’s Family Alleges Panera Drinks Contributed to Her Death 

The family of 21-year-old Sarah Katz, who passed away after drinking a Charged Lemonade drink, filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread alleging the drinks made her existing heart condition worse, and contributed to her death. She was a student at the University of Pennsylvania.

Two other lawsuits blamed the highly caffeinated drinks on the deaths of 46-year-old Dennis Brown and 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt. 

The drinks were included in Panera’s ‘Sip Club’ which gives members access to unlimited drinks. Brown’s lawsuit alleged he was drinking the lemonade for six days before dying while walking home from dinner at a Panera by his workplace in Florida.

Skerritt allegedly suffered brain fog, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, body shakes and difficulty thinking.

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