Panera Bread are facing a lawsuit after the death of 21-year-old Ivy League student. Some fans, however, believe the beverage clearly suggests caffeine content.
Sarah Katz, a student at the University of Pennsylvania died after drinking Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade. The student, who suffered from a heart condition since the age of 5, always made sure to steer clear of energy drinks.
However, the Charged Lemonade released by Panera Bread is said to contain more than a can of Monster Energy and Red Bull combined. Shortly after drinking the beverage, Katz went into cardiac arrest.
Her family are suing Panera Bread, stating that the beverage was in no way labeled as possessing any caffeine content. The plaintiff argued, “Panera Bread’s ‘charged lemonade’ is a hidden danger to the public and the Katz family wants to prevent this tragedy from happening to someone else”.
What does social media have to say?
The majority of TikTok videos and X/Twitter posts are filled with commenters sending their condolences to the young girl’s family. “This is so heartbreaking”, one reader says, “So sad…prayers for the family”, another writes.
A lawsuit alleges a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition died after drinking Panera Bread’s “charged lemonade,” which contains more caffeine than a Red Bull and Monster energy drink combined. https://t.co/RyV2RPfBCj
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 23, 2023
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However, many readers are quick to defend Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade, alleging that the caffeine content was made clear.
Investigative journalist Tommy Liberty writes, “The drink is clearly labeled with how much caffeine is has—the picture in the article demonstrates that. She willingly paid for said drink of her own free will. Explain to me how this is Panera’s fault? It’s tragic, of course. But it’s not their fault. It was unfortunate and tragic carelessness on her part. That’s just the harsh truth”.
It seems that many agree with Liberty, stating in the same post: “Maybe she shouldn’t have been drinking something that is advertised to have a ton of caffeine if she has a heart condition.”
Another asks, “Why would she drink it knowing she had a heart condition, this lawsuit should be tossed out!”.
In a recent statement, Panera addresses the controversy by stating: “We strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients… We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.”
