Panera Bread has come under fire recently for its “Charged Sips.”
In late 2023, the chain faced two wrongful death lawsuits after consumers drank the caffeinated beverages.
Now, 28-year-old Lauren Skerrit is suing Panera after the “Charged Lemonade” allegedly resulted in permanent heart damage. After drinking two and a half of the caffeinated drinks, Skerrit was experiencing dizziness and heart palpitations and had to be taken to the emergency room.
Skerrit has since been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat, and one that she will have for the rest of her life. She had no pre-existing health conditions and was a regular obstacle course racer before her diagnosis.
According to her suit: “Lauren continues to experience supraventricular tachycardia with associated shortness of breath, palpitations, brain fog, difficulty thinking and concentrating, body shakes, and weakness.”
Additionally, the suit claims her heart concerns are likely to affect her plans to start a family with her husband, and may cause complications during pregnancy.
What’s in a Charged Lemonade?
Skerrit opted for the Charged Lemonade because Panera had marketed it as a “clean,” plant-based alternative to caffeine. But how much caffeine is in one of its Charged Sips?
A 30-ounce cup of any of Panera’s “Charged” drinks contains 390 milligrams of caffeine. For reference, a double shot of espresso has around 125 milligrams of caffeine.
On top of that, the Charged drinks contain gurana extract, a stimulant used in energy drinks, which the suit says Panera had failed to share with customers.
A history of issues
Skerrit’s lawsuit marks the third that Panera has faced related to its Charged line of drinks. Two previous lawsuits were filed after the death of a 21-year-old college student and a 46-year-old man, both of whom went into cardiac arrest after having the drinks.
Twenty-one-year-old Sarah Katz had a pre-existing heart condition, though she was able to have caffeine in moderation. Dennis Brown, 46, had a chromosomal deficinecy disorder, and never consumed caffeine because of his high blood pressure. However, he had three of the Charged Lemonades before suffering cardiac arrest.
Both had consumed the Charged Lemonades and their suits claimed that Panera did nothing to warn customers about the amount of caffeine in the drinks. The drinks appear in the restaurants right next to the regular lemonades and soft drinks, with no special tags or warnings about the level of caffeine found in them.
While Panera has yet to comment on this latest lawsuit, it had expressed its sympathies for the previous two deaths, while also claiming one was unrelated to its caffeinated beverages.
In recent months, Panera has updated its menu to indicate that the Charged drinks contain caffeine. Additionally, when customers go to select one of the Charged drinks, there is a warning that reads: “Naturally flavored, plant-based. Contains caffeine. Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.”
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-01-22 17:45:31
