The parents of a girl who died after drinking Panera Bread’s loaded lemonade have spoken out after the energy drink was phased out following multiple deaths.
Sarah Katz died at the age of 21 after suffering two cardiac arrests shortly after consuming the high-caffeine drink from the American restaurant chain.
Since his death in September 2022, multiple lawsuits have been filed against Panera Bread on behalf of other people who died or were left with serious health problems after consuming the lemonade.
The grieving parents of Katz, who was a student at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, have now opened up about the loss of their daughter.
Katz’s father, Michael, recalled the moment he discovered his daughter had “collapsed” and rushed to the trauma center to learn she had gone into cardiac arrest, but doctors were able to resuscitate her.
Sarah Katz (pictured) died on September 10, 2022, just hours after consuming a large, loaded lemonade from a Panera Bread branch in Philadelphia.
Katz’s grieving parents Michael and Jill Katz (pictured) have now opened up about the loss of their daughter.
‘The pain is so hard and so deep. It’s not something that helps you get better,” said Jill Katz, Sarah’s mother. She is pictured here with her daughter.
However, after the 21-year-old suffered a second cardiac arrest, medical officials ended resuscitation, leaving her heartbroken parents in “total disbelief.”
‘The pain is so hard and so deep. It’s not something that helps you get better,” said Jill Katz, Sarah’s mother. She added that time has not healed her heartbreak and they have been forced to acclimatize to the pain of losing their beloved daughter.
“Sarah was an amazing daughter, an amazing friend and an amazing sister,” Jill said. She volunteered at the local children’s hospital, was part of her school’s law society, and acted as social president of her sorority. She studied health and society and international relations.
Katz’s parents revealed that they had to pack up their Philadelphia apartment after her tragic death, which was “heartbreaking,” and that it was there that they learned from her roommate that she had consumed Panera Bread Charged lemonade.
The roommate had heard about other related incidents that had occurred after other people consumed Charged Lemonades and put two and two together.
When the doctor was informed about the lemonade consumption, he said it was absolutely something that could have contributed to the death.
Since his death in September 2022, multiple lawsuits have been filed against Panera Bread on behalf of other people who died or were left with serious health problems after consuming the lemonade.
The Katz family is now suing Panera Bread for wrongful death, negligence and several other charges, alleging that the company failed to adequately warn consumers about its dangerous product.
Katz’s parents said she normally avoided energy drinks due to a known heart condition she was diagnosed with when she was five years old.
The Katz family is now suing Panera Bread for wrongful death, negligence and several other charges, alleging that the company failed to adequately warn consumers about its dangerous product.
Panera Bread announced Tuesday that Charged Lemonade drinks would be removed from the menu.
A spokesperson for the chain said the change was part of a “menu transformation” and internal memos suggest it could begin within the next two weeks.
But the move comes after lawsuits blamed high-caffeine drinks for two deaths and heart damage in a third patient.
“I know as we sit here today, the awareness of this has saved people’s lives,” Jill Katz said. ABC News.
The filed lawsuit alleges that the 30 fluid ounce drink exceeds the combined content of 12 fluid ounces of Red Bull (114 milligrams of caffeine) and 16 ounces of Monster Energy Drink (160 milligrams of caffeine).
Elizabeth Crawford, the attorney representing the Katz family, revealed that Panera Bread doesn’t even offer a 30-ounce coffee option.
A regular size of Charged Lemonade, which is 20 ounces, has 260 milligrams of caffeine. The large one, which comes in a 30-ounce cup, has 390 milligrams.
The lawsuit claims that Mr. Brown was “reasonably certain that it was traditional lemonade that contained a reasonable amount of caffeine that was safe to drink.”
In December, the family of a 46-year-old disabled Florida man filed a second lawsuit who also died after drinking several Charged lemonades.
A third lawsuit was filed in January by Lauren Skerritt, a 28-year-old from Rhode Island who claimed that the drink left him with “permanent” heart damage.
A large 30-ounce loaded lemonade contains 390 milligrams, which is almost the daily limit recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
A Panera spokesperson said Tuesday that the phasing out of the drinks was due to customer feedback.
“We heard from more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera and will now focus on the wide range of beverages we know our guests want, from interesting and on-trend flavors to low-sugar and low-caffeine options.” they said.
After news of the first lawsuit broke, Panera posted more detailed information at all of its restaurants and on its website warning customers to consume the drinks in moderation.
The chain also stated that they were not recommended for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers or people sensitive to caffeine.
Internal notes shared with NBC News by senior staff in Missouri and Pennsylvania indicate that phasing out could occur within two weeks.
But not all employees were aware of the change, including staff at a store in New York City who said they were unaware of the change.
DailyMail.com has contacted Panera Bread for comment.