A recent lawsuit against Panera Bread further intensifies scrutiny surrounding the now-discontinued Charged Lemonade beverage. The lawsuit, filed by a Pennsylvania teenager, alleges the teen suffered cardiac arrest after consuming a Charged Lemonade and required resuscitation.
This lawsuit is the fourth legal action filed against Panera Bread concerning the Charged Lemonade. Previous lawsuits alleged the drink caused two deaths and lasting health problems for another customer. The recent lawsuit claims the teenager experienced cardiac arrest after consuming a large Mango Yuzu Citrus Charged Lemonade at a Panera Bread location. The suit argues the drink’s high caffeine content, along with undisclosed ingredients and mixing practices by employees, posed an unreasonable health risk to consumers.
The lawsuit comes just two weeks after Panera Bread announced it would discontinue the Charged Lemonade line. The company did not explicitly acknowledge the lawsuits as a reason for the decision, but they did face criticism for the drink’s high caffeine content, which exceeded that of some popular energy drinks.
Panera Bread denies any wrongdoing related to the Charged Lemonade and has not issued a formal statement regarding the lawsuit. The company previously maintained the drink was labeled appropriately and contained less caffeine than some coffee drinks.
With the discontinuation of Charged Lemonade, it remains to be seen how the lawsuits will proceed. The legal challenges will likely focus on whether Panera adequately informed consumers about the drink’s ingredients and potential health risks.
