A large Charged Lemonade has 390 milligrams of caffeine.
Panera Bread will discontinue its line of “Charged” drinks after lawsuits allege customers died from drinking the caffeinated beverages, reported The Wall Street Journal.
Two families of people who died after drinking the caffeinated fruit drinks and lemonades have filed wrongful-death suits against Panera, and another alleged the drink caused her heart problems.
According to Panera’s website, a regular Charged Lemonade contains 260 milligrams of caffeine while the large size has 390 milligrams.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes that 400 milligrams of caffeine can be safely consumed by most healthy adults—equivalent to four or five cups of coffee. However, the FDA also states that “there is wide variation in both how sensitive people are to the effects of caffeine and how fast they metabolize it.”
Dennis Brown, who was 46, died from a “cardiac event” while walking home from a Panera after drinking three Charged Lemonades.
Panera declined to comment on the lawsuits, and a Panera spokesperson said Tuesday the company will introduce a new line of drinks that will include blueberry lavender lemonade and pomegranate hibiscus tea, continuing a menu revamp announced in February that began with sandwiches and salads. In a comment to the New York Times, Panera cited the menu revamp as the reason for removing the Charged beverages. The new beverages will have low-sugar and low-caffeine options.
