Panera Bread made an attempt at changing the beverage game with their Charged Lemonade, but their decision has fallen flat after a string of lawsuits.
What Is Panera’s Charged Lemonade?
Panera introduced Charged Lemonade in 2022. The drink has more caffeine than most average caffeinated drinks on the market.
The fruit-flavored beverages contain between 155 milligrams and 302 milligrams of caffeine. The typical 8-oz. cu of coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while a 16-ounce can of Monster Energy contains 160 milligrams.
Panera hasannounced that they will stop serving their line of Charged Lemonades. They have not, however, specified the exact date of the discontinuation.
Why Did Panera Drop Its Charged Lemonade?
Three different lawsuits against Panera claim that the high levels of caffeine in the product led to the deaths of two customers and irreversible health complications in another.
So, why did Charged Lemonade stay on the menu so long, even after allegedly causing multiple deaths and irreversible injuries?
James Haggerty, a crisis PR expert, told CNN, “Very often in lawsuits, there is a knee-jerk reaction among lawyers to do as little as possible publicly out of some vague fear that you are exposing yourself to additional liability.”
Haggerty explained that by pulling an item early, after multiple lawsuits, it can actually cost a company hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business, due to the negative publicity.
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Panera did quietly react, though, by including the language, “Consume in moderation. Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.”
It’s not clear when the chain added the warning, but it was noted to not be there with the initial launch of the charged drinks.
Elizabeth Crawford, the lawyer representing the families of the two deceased and the injured, told NBC News, “This is exactly what we set out to do, to some extent, is to make sure that this poison is taken off the shelves.”
When Will Panera Remove Charged Lemonade From the Menu?
According to Bloomberg, Panera will remove Charged Lemonade from the menu with the next two weeks, though no exact date is clear.
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