Goodbye Panera 'Charged Lemonade'

After months warnings and many lawsuits, fast-casual restaurant Panera is finally discontinuing its line of Charged Lemonade drinks. The news comes as the chain has come under fire for the amount of caffeine in the drinks, which are being removed from the menu.

In a statement shared with Rolling rock, a Panera spokesperson said the move is part of an ongoing menu shake-up. “We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and we're then focusing on the wide variety of beverages we know our guests want – from exciting on-trend flavors to low-sugar, low-caffeine options.” the statement says. The spokesman declined to comment on whether the drink's removal was related to the ongoing controversy.

Consumer criticism of the drink does not revolve around the lemonade itself, but rather Panera's marketing and label. Charged Lemonade has 390 milligrams of caffeine, close to the amount of caffeine in three Red Bulls, but previous language on Panera's website and in-store container stickers compared it to the same caffeine as a cup of their dark roast coffee. According to the Panera website, a dark roast coffee can range from 161 to 268 milligrams depending on the size. In October 2023, Panera added additional warning labels to its Charged Lemonade containers, warning customers to “Use in moderation. Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or lactating women.”

Three lawsuits have been filed against Panera revolving around Charged Lemonade and its in-store presentation. On September 10, 2022, 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz died after drinking a Panera Charged Lemonade. According to a lawsuit filed by her parents, Michael and Jill Katz, Sarah had a heart condition that caused an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, and had always avoided energy drinks. The suit alleges Sarah only had the lemonade because she was “reasonably certain it was a traditional lemonade and/or electrolyte sports drink containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for her to drink,” putting heavy emphasis on Panera's lack of warnings about its contents. of caffeine. . In December 2023, the family of 46-year-old Dennis Brown filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Panera. Brown went into cardiac arrest after drinking “three servings” of Charged Lemonade and died. In the cases of both deaths, a Panera spokesman expressed sympathy but called the lawsuits “baseless.” A third lawsuit was filed in January after a 28-year-old Rhode Island woman claimed the drink caused her “permanent heart trauma.” Panera did not comment on the lawsuit.

Online, personal reviews of Lemonade highlight its caffeine content. On TikTok, the top 45 videos using the Charged Lemonade hashtag contain warnings from people who have had the drink and experienced sleep problems, rapid pulses and shaky hands. “This is not an ad, it's a warning,” one user's video said. “I pay $4 for a Panera lemonade with 390mg of caffeine to get into V-tach while studying instead of taking Adderall,” another user with a caption Their TikTok. On TikTok and the r/panera subreddit, the drink has been nicknamed “Panera Deadly Lemonade.” (Panera did not respond Rolling rockhis request for a comment on the nickname.)

While the drink will no longer be available, Panera has not confirmed the Charged Lemonade's last day in stores.