Panera Bread has announced the discontinuation of its Charged Sips drinks following their association with at least two wrongful death lawsuits linked to their high caffeine content.
The company did not specify on Tuesday whether the decision to discontinue the drinks was directly related to the lawsuits or health concerns. Additionally, Panera declined to comment on the timeline for removing the drinks from its stores. However, the company stated that it is introducing new low-sugar and low-caffeine drinks in response to customer feedback.
Introduced in the spring of 2022, Charged Sips were fruit-flavored beverages containing between 155 milligrams and 302 milligrams of caffeine. By comparison, the typical 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while a 16-ounce can of Monster Energy contains 160 milligrams.
Panera aimed to meet the growing demand for natural drinks with functional benefits, such as energy boosting or immunity enhancement, with Charged Sips. These drinks contained caffeine derived from guarana, a plant extract commonly found in energy drinks, and green coffee extract.
However, last October, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Panera by the family of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who passed away in September 2022 after consuming a Charged Lemonade.
In a separate incident in December, the family of a Florida man filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against Panera after David Brown, 46, suffered cardiac arrest and died following the consumption of three Charged Lemonades.
Brown’s family stated that he had high blood pressure and did not typically consume energy drinks, believing Charged Sips to be safe as they were not marketed as energy drinks. The lawsuit revealed that Brown had ordered at least seven Charged Lemonades over a two-week period before his death.
Panera’s online menu now includes a disclaimer advising consumers to “Consume in moderation. Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.” However, it remains unclear when this disclaimer was added.
