Panera Bread will phase out the controversial Charged Lemonade from stores nationwide after the drinks were linked to several deaths.
A spokesperson for the chain said the change was part of a “menu transformation” and internal memos suggest it could begin within the next two weeks.
The move comes after lawsuits blamed the highly caffeinated drinks for two deaths and heart damage in a third patient.
The family of a Pennsylvania student with a pre-existing heart condition claimed she died after drinking a large Charged Lemonade in 2022.
A second lawsuit was filed in December by the family of a disabled Florida man, 46, who also died after drinking several Charged Lemonades.
Sarah Katz (pictured) died on September 10, 2022, just hours after consuming a large Charged Lemonade from a branch of Panera Bread in Philadelphia
The lawsuit claims that Mr. Brown was “reasonably confident that it was a traditional lemonade that contained a reasonable amount of caffeine that he could safely drink.”
A regular size Charged Lemonade, which is 20 ounces, contains 260 milligrams of caffeine. The large, which comes in a 30-ounce cup, has 390 milligrams
A third lawsuit was filed in January by Lauren Skerritt, a 28-year-old from Rhode Island, who claimed the drink left her with “permanent” heart damage.
A large 30-ounce Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams, which is almost the entire recommended daily limit from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
A Panera spokesperson said Tuesday that the phasing out of the drinks is due to customer feedback.
“We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and are now focusing on the wide range of beverages we know our guests crave – ranging from exciting, on-trend flavors to low-sugar, low-caffeine options, ‘ they said.
After news of the initial lawsuit emerged, Panera posted more detailed disclosures at all of its restaurants and on its website, warning customers to consume the drinks in moderation.
The chain also stated that they were not recommended for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers or people sensitive to caffeine.
Internal memos shared with NBC News by senior staff in Missouri and Pennsylvania indicate the phaseout could occur within two weeks.
But not all employees were aware of the change — including at least one store in New York City where staff said they were unaware of the move.
Charged Lemonades first became embroiled in controversy last October when the family of Sarah Katz, 21, blamed its high caffeine content for her cardiac arrest.
The University of Pennsylvania student died in 2022, just hours after consuming a large Charged Lemonade from a branch of Panera Bread in Philadelphia.
A regular size, 20 ounces, contains 260 milligrams of caffeine. The large, which comes in a 30-ounce cup, has 390 milligrams.
For comparison: the average 250 gram cup of coffee contains 80 to 95 milligrams of caffeine.
The FDA’s recommended daily caffeine limit is 400 milligrams.
Ms. Katz was diagnosed with the heart rhythm disorder long QT syndrome as a child, which caused her heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia).
Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internist in New York, previously told DailyMail.com that caffeine can eliminate the vital pauses between heartbeats in people with long QT syndrome.
‘Patients with this condition take a little longer than normal to restart after the heart muscle contracts.’
Caffeine, he explains, speeds up the beating pattern, putting too much strain on the already stretched organ.
“If there is too much activity when the muscle needs to relax, it can be potentially fatal or at least a major medical emergency.”
According to legal documents, Ms. Katz had managed her condition by taking medication and limiting caffeine.
In December, a lawsuit alleges that 46-year-old Dennis Brown went into cardiac arrest shortly after leaving his local branch of Panera Bread on Fleming Island.
He was found unconscious on the sidewalk and pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Brown, who lived with developmental disabilities and high blood pressure, had started consistently ordering the drinks three weeks before his death.
According to the attorney representing the family, Mr. Brown had a habit of ordering three drinks in a row, and had three charged lemonades with his dinner on the day of his death.