Lethal Lemonade: Energy Drinks Aimed at Young People Linked to Deaths, Cardiac Risks, Lawsuits Allege

Sarah Katz steered clear of energy drinks because she knew they could be risky for her, but the 21-year-old college student with an underlying heart condition didn’t know to avoid Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade, her shattered mother says.

Katz, a standout undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania, died from cardiac arrest in September 2022 after consuming the highly caffeinated beverage at a Panera store in Philadelphia, where it wasn’t marketed as an “energy drink,” Katz’s mother said.

“Sarah didn’t know this was an energy drink,” Jill Katz told Newsweek. “She was never banned from coffee, they just said stay away from energy drinks and this was not labeled as such. So, she didn’t know.”

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Katz’s parents are now suing Panera for unspecified damages, alleging the Charged Lemonade that contained up to 390 milligrams of caffeine per 30 ounces made it a “dangerous energy drink” despite not being labeled as such, the family’s lawsuit claims. It is one of at least four lawsuits associated with the now-discontinued Charged Lemonade.

The parents also want their daughter’s death to spark greater transparency and additional regulation on increasingly ubiquitous energy drinks, which may be linked to sudden cardiac arrest, a recent study found. The Food and Drug Administration has a recommended daily limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine — little more than in that one Panera drink — but some people are much more susceptible than others.

“It’s really been sold and marketed to young people,” Katz said of energy drinks. “They’re putting them in pastel colors, with marketing that shows young people running on the beach or surfing or skateboarding and doing fancy tricks.”

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A Panera spokesperson told Newsweek the company denied any fault in the ongoing wrongful death or negligence lawsuits.

“The company conducted a thorough investigation which found no causal link to our products, and continues to believe the allegations are without merit,” Panera said in a statement.

Panera officials say the chain had consistently disclosed the presence and amount of caffeine in a Charged Lemonade at restaurants and on its app prior to discontinuing the product in May. The move to phase out the plant-based drink with caffeinated mango yuzu citrus flavored syrup reflected the evolving preferences of guests, the company said.

“At Panera, we believe deeply in ingredient transparency and back up this commitment with clear labeling and disclosure practices,” a company spokesperson said.

One Charged Lemonade exceeded the combined contents of 12 ounces of Red Bull (114 milligrams of caffeine) and 16 ounces of Monster Energy (160 milligrams).

Sarah Nicole Katz knew very well that she should avoid energy drinks. At age 5, she was diagnosed with a heart condition known as long QT syndrome after having a seizure during a swimming lesson, her mother said. The disorder, which Katz managed with regular doctor visits, causes heartbeats to last fractions of a second longer than normal, which can cause seizures or sudden cardiac arrest.

Katz accused Panera of deemphasizing the caffeine content at its Philadelphia location, where it was billed as a healthy “plant-based” option with as much jolt as dark roast coffee, while the chain’s app fully divulged the drink’s ingredients—including added sugar, guarana, taurine and other stimulants.

“They were downplaying it,” Katz said. “There should be transparency, so people know what they’re drinking.”

The need for clearer labels is further accentuated by how widespread energy drinks have become on college campuses, according to Katz, a trust and estate attorney who teaches part time at Cornell Law School.

“They want to get the work done, but they also want to have fun, too,” Katz said of the allure of energy drinks to younger adults. “So how do they do that? They medicate themselves through energy drinks. There’s almost a conscious effort to mislead what these beverages can do to people.”

Katz’s attorney, Elizabeth Crawford, also represents the family of Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old Florida man with a chromosomal deficiency disorder who died in October 2023 after drinking three Charged Lemonades. His relatives claim the chain’s “defective and unreasonably dangerous design” led to cardiac arrest. A trial date in Delaware has been set for November 3.

Two other people who allege they suffered permanent cardiac injuries after drinking Panera’s Charged Lemonade are also suing the company. Lauren Skerritt, 28, of Rhode Island, now experiences “recurrent episodes of rapid heartbeat” without warning since her April 2023 visit, her lawsuit claims. Skerritt’s trial is scheduled to start in early May.

Luke Adams, an 18-year-old Pennsylvania man, claims the Charged Lemonade he drank in March 2024 led to cardiac arrest.

“The cardiac arrest was later found to be caused by ventricular fibrillation, a type of heart arrythmia that can be triggered by caffeine,” Adams’ lawsuit reads. “As a result of drinking Panera Charged Lemonade, Luke’s life has been impacted physically, emotionally, socially and financially.”

Adams, whose doctors implanted a cardioverter defibrillator in his chest, now has an underlying heart condition that was triggered by the Charged Lemonade, his filing alleges. A trial date has not yet been set.

“We filed these lawsuits to obtain justice for our clients and their families and to inform the public about Panera’s dangerous energy drink to prevent further injuries and deaths,” Crawford told Newsweek. “While we strongly supported Panera’s decision to remove its Charged Lemonade from its menu, there has been no corporate accountability. Panera’s decision to pull this product will not revive Sarah Katz or Dennis Brown, nor will it ever return Lauren Skerritt or Luke Adams to their previous way of life.”

Dr. Jeremy Alland, a sports medicine specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said it’s “very easy” for consumers to ingest caffeine unwittingly, especially as the beverage industry seeks to provide the stimulant in less traditional offerings.

“Any time you look at a product that has caffeine in it, it’s not written in big, bold font like the calories are,” Alland told Newsweek. “The caffeine [amount] is usually pretty small and the product itself may not even want you to know that it’s caffeinated.”

The consumption of caffeine-laden drinks can lead to significant adverse health effects for some people, Alland said, including anxiety and increased heart rate, particularly for people with previously unknown cardiovascular issues.

“Caffeine’s a drug—it’s like any other drug we have,” Alland said while referencing alcohol. “We normalize caffeine by putting a Starbucks on every corner. I’m not immune to this—I love my cup of coffee—but I’m also very aware that you become dependent on the caffeine itself.”

Alland, who also works as a team physician for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, said many non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers are adding caffeine to more products that are frequently marketed using bright colors, fruity flavors or massive cans.

“These are really targeted at children,” he said. “And I’m not saying children like 7 years old, although you never know if a parent would get a Charged Lemonade and not know it’s covered in caffeine, and it could be really dangerous to little kids, for sure. But this is for teenagers, and if you can get to them early and get them hooked on caffeine, they’re coming back.”

Alland called for enlarged display of caffeine amounts on product packaging—similar to how calories are displayed—but noted the wide variance in sensitivity to the Food and Drug Administration’s recommended daily limit of 400 milligrams.

“Some people respond to caffeine more than others,” he said. “Some people can’t tolerate 100 milligrams of caffeine without having consequences and there’s people who can tolerate very high amounts, but the vast majority of people will do well at this number and below—and that’s where the 400 comes from.”

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, a board-certified internist and author, said anyone with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia—which impacts roughly 25 million Americans—should limit intake to two cups of coffee or tea per day because caffeine can aggravate symptoms of low blood sugar often linked to adrenal insufficiency.

Teitelbaum suggested adults restrict caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day to avoid using excess amounts as an “energy loan shark,” which he detailed in his 2021 book, From Fatigued to Fantastic!

“At that point it becomes a loan shark,” Teitelbaum said of the 400-milligram daily recommendation. “It takes away more energy than it gives. Simpler things to help energy would be things like B vitamins, magnesium, sleep and staying hydrated with water.”

Energy supplements without caffeine or sugar can also be a viable alternative, especially to younger consumers as beverage manufacturers increasingly target them, Teitelbaum said.

“They’re creating the next generation of junk food and energy loan shark addicts,” he said. “They’re basically creating a coterie of addicts. They want an addicted generation. That’s good for business, but really unhealthy for the kids.”

William Dermody, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association, which represents companies that produce 94 percent of energy drinks sold in the United States, including Red Bull and Monster, said leading manufacturers “go beyond all federal requirements” regarding responsible labeling and marketing practices, including to voluntarily display total caffeine content from all sources.

“Energy drinks have been enjoyed by millions of people around the world for more than 30 years and are recognized by government food safety agencies worldwide, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada and the European Food Safety Authority as safe for consumption,” Dermody told Newsweek.

The Food and Drug Administration estimates that rapid consumption of 1,200 milligrams of caffeine can lead to toxic effects such as seizures. Highly concentrated caffeine products have “contributed to at least two deaths” in the United States, an FDA website shows.

“By law, food companies are responsible for making sure any use of caffeine in their products is safe,” an FDA spokesperson said in a statement. “Caffeine, like any substance added to food, must be safe under the conditions it’s expected to be used, including the amount expected to be consumed.

“The FDA monitors the marketplace to help ensure caffeine is safely used in the products we regulate. We’ll act when needed, including collaborating with the Federal Trade Commission when marketing claims made by a company become a health and safety issue.”

Katz said more transparency and educational campaigns linked to energy drinks and highly caffeinated beverages could save another family from her endless nightmare.

“You never think it’s going to be your family and you,” Katz told Newsweek. “Sarah was such an incredible person, had so much passion to help others and was doing so much, and had so many plans. It’s hard for me to think that the universe would allow her to be taken from us.”

Corrected on 08/12/2024 at 8.33 a.m. ET to remove extraneous text