‘DANGEROUS’

Family Sues Over ‘Charged Lemonade’ After Student Sarah Katz’s Death

Sarah Katz, 21, had a heart condition and wasn’t aware of the drink’s caffeine content, which exceeds that of both Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined.

The family of an Ivy League student with a heart condition who died last year is suing Panera Bread, alleging that her death was the result of her consumption of the chain’s caffeinated lemonade. Sarah Katz, 21, went into cardiac arrest hours after buying a “Charged Lemonade” drink from a Panera Bread in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2022, her friend and roommate told NBC News. Katz, who had a condition known as long QT syndrome type 1, “was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe,” the friend said. “I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole.” The lemonade, according to the wrongful death lawsuit Katz’s family filed Monday, contains a “dangerous” 390 milligrams of caffeine—more than the caffeine content of standard cans of Red Bull and Monster combined. A Panera spokesperson told NBC in a statement that the company was “very saddened to learn this morning” of Katz’s death, and that they would “work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.”