Over the past few months, at least two lawsuits have been filed against Panera for wrongful deaths involving the chain's Charged lemonade drink.
The first was from the family of Sarah Katz a 21-year old University of Pennsylvania student who died after drinking the lemonade. Katz had a rare heart condition and avoided caffeine in order to not exacerbate the condition.
The family claimed the signage for Panera's lemonade did not adequately inform consumers that a large charged lemonade has 390 mg of caffeine in it.
(For reference, a 12 oz Red Bull has 102 mg of caffeine in it.)
Katz had bought an unlimited sip cup from Panera, and according to the family, had no idea she was mainlining that much caffeine.
The second lawsuit was filed by the family of 46-year-old Dennis Brown. Brown, like Katz, had health problems exacerbated by caffeine, and went into cardiac arrest after drinking the caffeinated lemonade.
Regarding both lawsuits Panera said,
"Panera expresses our deep sympathy for Mr. Brown's family," but that, based on its investigation, the company believes "his unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the company's products."
"We view this lawsuit, which was filed by the same law firm as a previous claim, to be equally without merit," the statement continues. "Panera stands firmly by the safety of our products."
But the company has also now updated their signage in stores with a warning about the amount of caffeine in the drinks "out of an abundance of caution."
The warning reads:
Naturally flavored, plant-based. Contains caffeine. Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.
So is Panera's new drink a deadly draught?
Who knows?
But the memes are here whether you like it or not.
Double check your life insurance folks, here we go!
And my personal favorite:
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