Panera Bread is discontinuing sales of Charged Sips after the caffeinated beverage was controversially linked to at least two deaths.
A company spokesperson denied this. Comments on Bloomberg News coverage Earlier on Tuesday, it was indicated that the sweet, caffeinated lemonade drink – said to have more caffeine in one serving than Red Bull and Monster combined – had been taken off the menu. .
However, a person close to the situation told the Post that Panera Bread has indeed made the decision to stop selling the drink.
“We are excited to continue the success of our recent menu transformation, which began with our core menu of sandwiches and salads,” a company spokesperson told the Post.
“We asked more than 30,000 guests what they want from Panera, and then we learned what we know guests want, from exciting, on-trend flavors to low-sugar, low-caffeine options. We focus on a wide range of drinks.”
The chain said it will offer an “enhanced beverage portfolio” including Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea, Citrus Punch and Tropical Green Smoothie.
Last month, 18-year-old Pittsburgh-area teenager Luke Adams reportedly went into cardiac arrest after drinking a Panera “Charged Lemonade” drink.
Adams and her friends went from Panera to a movie theater, where she became unresponsive. Fortunately, a nurse who was also the assistant fire chief was near the theater when she heard someone going into cardiac arrest over a handheld radio.
Adams’ friend called 911, and a nurse was dispatched to the scene. He then performed CPR, saving his life. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Earlier this year, Lauren Skerritt, a 28-year-old Rhode Island woman, filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread.
She said she was taken to the emergency room after drinking more than one “Charged Lemonade” drink and suffered debilitating injuries, including an irregular heartbeat.
Skerritt claimed in court papers filed in Delaware Superior Court that he was experiencing “recurrent episodes of rapid heartbeat that occur suddenly and without pattern.”
Last fall, the family of a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student sued Panera Bread after he went into cardiac arrest and died after drinking Panera Bread.
Sara Katz’s family alleges in the lawsuit that Panera included the drink as part of its “Ship Club,” which encourages customers to “drink an unlimited amount of Panera Charged Lemonade every day.”
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Sarah Katz this morning. Our hearts go out to her family,” a Panera spokesperson told the Post.
A spokesperson said the company “strongly believes.”[s] Increase transparency of raw materials. ”
Panera called both lawsuits “equally meritless.”
In a separate lawsuit filed against Panera Bread, Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old Florida man who suffered from an unspecified chromosomal deletion disorder and mild intellectual disability, was arrested on October 9 of last year. It is claimed that he died of a fatal heart attack after drinking the glass. Charged Lemonade. ”
Panera released a statement regarding the lawsuit filed by Brown’s family, saying, “Panera expresses its deepest sympathies to Mr. Brown’s family.”
“Based on our investigation, we believe that his unfortunate death was not caused by any of the company’s products,” the company said.
